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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26485537">A Snowflake in Hell</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Discontinuity/pseuds/Discontinuity'>Discontinuity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alastor Being a Jerk (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor is Bad at Feelings (Hazbin Hotel), Alastor is in Hell for a Reason (Hazbin Hotel), Angst, Biting, Blood Kink, Blood and Gore, Blood and Violence, Cannibalism, Demisexual Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Even more story!, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Existential Angst, Existentialism, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Jealous Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), M/M, Multiple Orgasms, Objectification, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Overstimulation, Ownership, Possessive Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Possessive Behavior, Psychological Warfare, Racism, Rape/Non-con Elements, Reader Has A Name, Reader is in Hell for a Reason, Reader-Insert, Rough Sex, Sex Positive Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Slow Burn, Smut, Spit Kink, Suicidal Thoughts, This is hell what do you expect?, This is what I do with my time :), Tooth-Rotting Fluff, big ol' story!, but don't worry there's smut ;), but reader hates singing!, degeneracy, more story!, reader has a lot of problems, reader has insane trust issues, songs!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:56:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>32,600</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26485537</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Discontinuity/pseuds/Discontinuity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Existence was cruel and no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't seem to escape it. You had no reason to keep going until one was forced upon you. How lovely.</p><p>You're a suicidal succubus that just landed in Hell, what isn't there to love?</p><p>.</p><p>Fun and fresh Al and reader fic, cuz there aren't nearly enough of those out there. I loooove psychological warfare and smut so why not combine the two? &gt;:)<br/>This story is lowkey depressing at some points and touches heavily on sensitive topics such as suicide, existence and the like. Not to mention there are themes of abuse, violence and torture across different contexts.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)/Original Character(s), Alastor (Hazbin Hotel)/Reader, Angel Dust/Husk (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust/Valentino (Hazbin Hotel), Charlie Magne/Vaggie, Husk (Hazbin Hotel)/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>260</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Departure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to the story, my fellow degenerates! I don't have a lot of experience with writing, but I figured why not, right? We're all just having fun here, and we shouldn't be ashamed of that! Constructive criticism is welcome! :)</p><p>Enjoy the story everyone!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Thin sheets of pure snow layered on top of you, inch by inch.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your body was numb yet still ached under the delicate blanket that slowly consumed you.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This was it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This is where you could finally sleep.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your entire life had been a constant struggle to survive; cheating, killing, seducing, were all skills that you’d expertly employed over the years to name a few. Laying down never felt so peaceful. For the first time in years, you were content. Content with just leaving this mortal plane forever, never having to experience pain, exhaustion, anxiety, depression, anything. Some would no doubt call you cowardly, but you didn’t care.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Peace was elusive and unforgiving. No matter what you did, you could never find it, hold it tightly in your pale grasp. Until now.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bitter air pierced your lungs, relentlessly solidifying any moisture it could find. Pins and needles assaulted each of your nerves but it was nothing compared to what you’d felt before. This was </span>
  <em>
    <span>tolerable</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>welcome</span>
  </em>
  <span> even. This was a choice that you made and as consciousness gradually slipped away from your quiet body, you didn’t regret it for a single moment. It was finally time to cease existing, cease feeling the pain, the sorrow and the misery that chained to what was left of your humanity.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your pitiful excuse for a life didn’t even grace your final moments of living. After all, you could barely remember the last time you felt truly </span>
  <em>
    <span>alive</span>
  </em>
  <span>. There was nothing that </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> flash before your eyes, even if you wanted there to be. Absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your immobile, limp body drew its last breath, a frozen smile adorned your now light blue face. The void was comforting. The nothingness embraced you, and you embraced it in return.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Finally. You were dead.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>So when you opened your eyes to a pure red sky, no words could describe the pure, unadulterated frustration that coursed through your soul.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Existence is Pain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>What happens after you wake up?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Mind as well post the first reeeeal chapter right? Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A blood red sky was the first to greet your tired eyes. Jagged asphalt harassed your soft skin, pricking hundreds of indentations into your back, legs, arms and head, but you were numb to the pain. The only pain that you had the pleasure of experiencing was the mental anguish of being conscious. Soft mutterings escaped from your quivering lip.</p><p> </p><p>“no. no. noーno, No, No, No, NO NO NO!” the volume of your words increased with each syllable. You shot up to your knees, unaware of the damage inflicted on them causing blood to pool below you. “NO!” you smashed your right fist into the rough terrain, audible cracking falling upon your deaf ears. “NO!” another fist came into contact with the ground below you, “<b>NO!</b> ” another, “ <b>NO!</b> ” and another, “ <b>NO!!</b>” the consistent ‘no’s’ were replaced with deep throated grunts and screams as you continued your assault on the persistent, unchanging surface below you.</p><p> </p><p>Your right hand was broken, bruised, bleeding, practically ripped and torn to shreds yet you felt nothing but pure rage that enveloped your entire being. Punching the ground wasn’t enough. You attempted to scratch away at the it, desperate for something, <em> anything </em>. The thin flesh that coated your fingers tore away, leaving streaks of blood and skin in its wake. Your head was next. Positioning yourself all the way upright, you swung your head down, smashing it onto the ground without hesitation. Blood curdling screams seeped out of you, not out of pain, but out of frustration.</p><p> </p><p>You smashed it again.</p><p> </p><p>Again.</p><p> </p><p>Again.</p><p> </p><p>Again, again and again.</p><p> </p><p>“WHY WON’T I DIE!” you screamed out, desperate for an answer.</p><p> </p><p>Blood collided with newly formed tears, mixing into a delicious elixir of agony. After a few more minutes of crying and bleeding helplessly on the ground, numbness came to soothe your aching mind and body. No thoughts raced through your sure to be concussed brain, nor did you move a muscle. Defeat plagued your soul with its excruciating presence.</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>A few bystanders eyed up the tattered body that rested lifelessly on the ground. Many barely spared it a second glance, after all, they had places to be, people to fuck. Some only watched it with disgust at its previous display. <em> Whoever it was, they were a pitiful sight </em>. </p><p> </p><p>The barely animated corpse managed to balance itself on their two injured feet. How the small figure wasn’t completely out of commission was <em> beyond </em> anyone that witnessed it happen. Stumbling around like a newborn fawn, the body revealed itself to belong to a woman. Her long, greyish red hair draped itself around her visage. </p><p> </p><p>The woman didn’t bat an eye at the horrifying creatures that surrounded her. She simply didn’t have the energy to care. The only thing that caught her attention was the promise of… <em> booze </em>.</p><p> </p><p>Flashing neon lights that simply stated ‘bar’ drew the young lady to it like a moth to a lamp. If she had learned <em> anything </em> while alive, it was how to play a mean game of cards and alcohol was the best way to numb the pain of existing.</p><p> </p><p>The bar door swung open, revealing a full house of creatures straight from a Tim Burton film. Nothing could phase the woman anymore.</p><p> </p><p>She didn’t waste any time hopping onto the nearest vacant bar stool. The bartender was yet another horrible monster, much to her unsurprise. He was lean with muscle, wore a white dress shirt with a black vest, sleeves rolled halfway up. He had big black eyes, black combed back hair, two black horns and most notably, pure charcoal coloured skin to accompany the rest of his dark appearance. </p><p> </p><p>The man wasted no time confronting the horribly injured woman, pacing over to her seat, giving her a questioning gaze. She was the first to speak.</p><p> </p><p>“Vodka. Neat. Top shelf” her words came out with a sigh, hardly making eye contact with the thing in front of her. She rested her bloody hands onto the polished wooden bar top, the crimson liquid resting on the surface. The tender didn’t ask any questions.</p><p> </p><p>He turned to grab a bottle of the poison, immediately settling on a clear glass of his highest quality. Grabbing an old fashioned glass from behind the counter, he began to fill it with more alcohol than he would usually serve someone, <em> neat vodka </em> no less. Even in Hell it wasn’t commonly ordered, but it sure as fuck looked like she <em> needed </em> it.</p><p> </p><p>“Got any money on ya?” he asked, quirking his brow while resting his arms on the table top.</p><p> </p><p>The woman took an exceedingly long swig of her drink. The divine liquid harshly burned her tongue and throat as it traveled down to the pit of her stomach, warming her from the inside out. She closed her eyes at the familiar feeling in a state of bliss. Lowering the glass from her bloodied lips, she exhaled deeply letting the effects of the alcohol take hold of her. Revealing her eyes to the man, she responded in a shaky but confident voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Put it on my tab.”</p><p> </p><p>This warranted a slight chuckle from the bartender. Some woman just waltzed in here, battered and bloody from <em> Satan </em> knows what, demanding his finest vodka without a cent to her name. <em> I like this one </em>, he thought. She took another swig.</p><p> </p><p>“So what brings a damaged soul such as yourself to a place like this?”</p><p> </p><p>Ripping away the sweet nectar for the second time, she rested it on a nearby coaster.</p><p> </p><p>“The promise of alcohol, of course.” Studying the glass intently, she continued, “Care to tell me where I am?”</p><p> </p><p>A bewildered look took over the man’s face.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” he asked, genuinely confused.</p><p> </p><p>“Where am I.” she repeated. </p><p> </p><p>“Uh-” he didn’t know what you were referring to, “you don’t know where you are?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope.” She responded bluntly, taking the glass into her left hand, lifting it up for the third time.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re in Hell..”</p><p> </p><p>The woman tipped back, finishing her drink in a single fluid motion, setting it down gently.</p><p> </p><p>“Hm.” she pushed the glass towards the impish man, signalling for him to refill it. “Okay.” was all she said.</p><p> </p><p>Needless to say, he was shocked.</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on a second. Did you just get here?” she nodded, waiting for him to refill the glass. “Well I’ll be damned. You’re oddly accepting of things. How the hell did you get so damn… beat up?” he filled the cup, more desperate to satiate his curiosity than to collect the money she owed.</p><p> </p><p>“Eh, not really important. All out of my system now anyway.” she took another swig, leaving the bartender confused once again. He sighed at the unsatisfying answer.</p><p> </p><p>“You got a name?” he asked. The woman took her time relishing the burn before answering.</p><p> </p><p>“Call me Cori.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, <em> Cori </em> , what are you gonna do now? Not only do you have to figure all this shit out, <em> you </em> have a tab to pay.”</p><p> </p><p>Cori chuckled. <em> I like this one, </em> she thought.</p><p> </p><p>“You got a name, barkeep?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ha, very funny miss. Call me Cyps.” He said, mockingly.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, <em> Cyps </em>,” she started, “all I gotta do is find a place, make some easy cash then I’ll pay my tab in no time. Easy.” Cori punctuated with a sip of her drink. Cyps only chuckled at her feigned optimism, leaning over the bartop to get a better look at the cheeky woman.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m holding you to that.” His look turned pensive as if he were considering his next words carefully, “You know…” Cori looked up, “I might know a place…”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>You gave the large decorated door three hard knocks with your left hand. A few moments passed before a loud “Just a second!” met your ears. </p><p> </p><p>The door swung open to reveal a pretty blond woman with porcelain skin and big eyes. She wore a red tux that was put together <em> beautifully </em>.</p><p> </p><p>“How can I-” her expression stiffened and dropped the moment her eyes grazed your blood soaked body. She inhaled sharply, eyes widened in surprise. “Oh my gosh, what happened to you?!”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, could I get a room? I just got here.”</p><p> </p><p>Your words took a second to register in the woman’s mind.</p><p> </p><p>“Iー What?”</p><p> </p><p>“A friend of mine told me you could give me a room. I have the right place don’t I?” your expression was neutral as if you didn’t know what state your body was in.</p><p> </p><p>“Umー I mean, yes? Are you interested in redemption?” she looked at you with simultaneous hope and concern in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I guess so.” you lied. Truly, you thought little of her idea. Cyps gave you a loose understanding of how things worked down here before sending you off to the ‘Happy Hotel’ and from what you could tell, not many demons were interested in redemption. But hey, who were you to judge right?</p><p> </p><p>“Oh that’s wonderful! Please, come in, we’ll uhー get you fixed up…” her gaze lapped from the top of your body to the bottom, investigating your wounds intently. “Yeah, let’s do that first.”</p><p> </p><p>You stepped through the entrance, taking a moment to admire the architecture and intricate interior design of the lobby.</p><p> </p><p>“Who is it?” an irritated voice spoke out from behind a corner.</p><p> </p><p>“We have a new guest! Come and meet her!”</p><p> </p><p>Another voice made itself known to you. It had a peculiar accent that you couldn’t quite nail down.</p><p> </p><p>“Anotha’ she?! When are we gonna start gettin’ more dick around this joint?” the voice ended with a deep sigh, clearly irritated.</p><p> </p><p>“ANGEL!” the previous voice screamed. This prompted you to exhale slightly, a small smile tugged the edge of your lips.</p><p> </p><p>The first to reveal themself was a grey skinned woman with long greyish-pink hair covering up her left eye. She had on a really cute white and grey outfit, long stockings and a bright pink bow to top it all off. Not to mention her eye was coloured with a pastel-pink brush, dotted with a light yellow iris. You were met with yet another surprised look followed by her saying, “What the hell happened to you?” her tone was less so surprised and more so suspicious of the state you were in. The next figure to reveal themself was a being, much less humanoid than the previous two. A light pink fluffy demon with monochromatic eyes made its way into your line of sight. He(?) was dressed rather scandalously, revealing a large chest of fluff and another set of arms, each doing its own thing. The sheer height of the demon would no doubt cause your neck to ache.</p><p> </p><p>“Well fuck me stupid, you didn’t happen to come across Chris Hargensen did ya? Yer nailin’ that whole ‘Carrie’ look, lemme tell ya. Look like complete shit.” was all he said before letting out a hearty laugh, much to the females’ dismay. The grey demon promptly punched him in the gut, causing him to groan and bend over slightly. “Owー What the fuck is ya’ problem!? Jeez bitch, you gotta cool it, I was just crackin’ a joke!”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re being an obnoxious, rude, asshole to our new guest! Haven’t you learned <em> anything </em>?!” she was clearly agitated and he only ruffled her feathers further. The blond quickly rushed over to the heated pair, no doubt to try and calm them down.</p><p> </p><p>“And what about me, huh? <em> I’m </em> a guest here, and yer goin’ around punchin’ me n’ shit! Gimme a break!” They were practically at each other's throats before the other one cut in, clearly fed up with their antics.</p><p> </p><p>“GUYS! Break it up, will you! No fighting, we have a guest―and if you haven’t noticed, she’s not exactly in the greatest state right now.” All eyes were back on you as soon as the two characters let out a simultaneous huff. “Okay, let’s get you cleaned up, you’ll feel much better, I’m sure― OH, I almost forgot to introduce myself!” she started beaming in anticipation before announcing her and her associates’ names “I’m Charlie, this here is Vaggie,” she motioned to the grey demon, “and <em> this </em> is Angel Dust, our first patron!” Vaggie offered a slight wave while Angel let out a reluctant greeting before retreating to a busted up refrigerator and pulling out a half melted Popsicle.</p><p> </p><p>Charlie reached over, about to carefully pull up your tattered right arm but before she could make contact, you instinctively pulled it away and took a defensive step back.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah―sorry it’s still a bit sore, haha…” that was only a half lie. Your head was pounding and your right hand was completely fucked up. The pain in your fingers and knees was ultimately overshadowed by the other things. Still, your tolerance for pain was insanely high, you just <em> loathed </em> the touch of another person. “And don’t worry, I can take care of this-” motioning to your body, “myself, so don’t worry too much.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, um, yes of course, no problem…” Charlie looked at you with concern, her previous smile faltering slightly. Vaggie just shrugged and turned over to the couch that was now occupied by Angel as well. “I’m going to be right back, just sit tight okay? There’s some bandages and other stuff behind the front desk, use them as you please.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, thanks Charlie, I appreciate it.” you flashed her a small smile before turning to the sad looking front desk. You heard the front door open and close and assumed she just went out for a bit.</p><p> </p><p>It took you a minute or two to find the med kit and once you did, the severity of your injuries had just hit you. Your right hand was swollen, knuckles were black and blue respectively. A large mass of dried up blood <em> covered </em> your hand almost completely. There was no doubt in your mind that it was broken in more than five places, if not, completely shattered. All of your fingers looked as if they went through a cheese grater, some even revealed the ivory bone underneath. <em> Hm. That can’t be good </em>. Only while examining your hands did you notice the light blue hue of your skin. Your eyes travelled down to what you were wearing. It occurred to you for a moment that your body looked slightly different, from what you could see. You wore the same clothes you had on when you died; a loose t-shirt revealed one of your black bra straps and shoulder, and a pair of black shorts revealed your bloodied up legs. You certainly had your work cut out for you.</p><p> </p><p>A loud thud cut you from your thoughts. <em> Charlie must be back. </em> After a moment of prolonged silence, you began sorting through the contents of the red box in front of you. The most concerning area to attend to, was your right hand. Taking a seat in front of the check in booth, you contemplated searching for a damp rag to clean up the blood first. A melodic knock echoed through the lobby causing your ears to twitch slightly, though it wasn’t enough to draw your attention completely. A few more loud thumps could be heard, the cause, unknown until you heard Charlie and Vaggie exchange a few words.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, Vaggie?”</p><p> </p><p>“Whaat??” she sighed.</p><p> </p><p>“The Radio Demon’s at the door!”</p><p> </p><p>“WHAT?!” Vaggie practically yelled out before Angel interjected, yanking the phallic treat out of his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh... who?”</p><p> </p><p>“What should I do??” Charlie clearly distraught, you finally turned around to see what all the fuss was about. Your injuries could wait.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh, well, don’t let him in!”</p><p> </p><p>To your smug satisfaction, Charlie did just that. A quick exhale escaped your nose in amusement. You had no reason whatsoever to inquire about the new guest, so you turned your attention back to looking for a rag. Distant bickering bounced off the walls, but what finally caused your ears to twitch was the sound of… radio static? <em> Eh, whatever, I’m probably just going insane, nothing to worry about </em>. Your quest continued, hunched over behind the desk searching the small shelves for a bar towel or a cleaning rag.</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>The Radio Demon, appropriately named Alastor, began to explain his intentions. “No! I'm here because I want to help!”</p><p> </p><p>Charlie and Vaggie were utterly dumbfounded. The <em> Radio Demon </em>. Helping a good cause. This situation SCREAMED bad news. “Say what now?”</p><p> </p><p>Alastor repeats himself, seemingly amused at the situation. “Help! Hahaha, hello? Is this thing on?" he tapped his mic, "Testing, testing!”</p><p> </p><p>To everyone’s surprise, Alastor’s mic opened its eye and began to speak, “Well I heard you loud and clear!”</p><p> </p><p>Still confused, Charlie continued. “Um, you want to help? With...?”</p><p> </p><p>His shadow sprung to life, holding the two women dramatically. He was awfully touchy… “This ridiculous thing you're trying to do! This hotel! I want to help you run it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Buuut... why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hahaha, why does anyone do anything? Sheer, absolute boredom! I've lacked inspiration for decades. My work became mundane, lacking focus,” he hastily shoved a fuming Vaggie out of the way, “aimless! I've come to crave a new form of entertainment! Hahaha!” His mannerisms were remarkably obnoxious, showy. It was all an act to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Does getting into a fistfight with a reporter count as entertainment...?” Charlie asked nervously.</p><p> </p><p>“Hahaha! It's the purest kind, my dear: Reality! True passion!” His tone became menacing as if revealing his intentions, “After all, the world is a stage and the stage is a world of entertainment.”</p><p> </p><p>“So does this mean you think it's possible to rehabilitate a demon?” Hope sparked in Charlie’s eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Hahahahaha!” he laughed at her, mockingly. “Of course not! That's wacky nonsense!” He shook his head enthusiastically, “Redemption, oh the non-existent humanity! No no no no, I don't think there's anything left that could save such loathsome sinners!” looking back to none other than Vaggie and Angel. “The chance given was the life they lived before, the punishment is this!” Gesturing to the entirety of Hell, he finishes, “There is no undoing what is done!”</p><p> </p><p>“So then, why do you wanna help me if you don't believe in my cause?”</p><p> </p><p>“Consider it an investment in ongoing entertainment for myself!” he pulled Charlie close to him and twirled her around. “I want to watch the scum of the world struggle to climb up the hill of betterment only to repeatedly trip and tumble down to the fiery pit of failure~”</p><p> </p><p>“Riiiight.” obviously uncomfortable, Charlie yanked the red demon’s hand off her shoulder and slinked away before promptly being dragged off by Alastor once again. This time his hand wrapped around her waist.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, indeedy! I see big things coming your way and who better to help you than I?”</p><p> </p><p>Angel chimed in with a pressing question. “Uh, so... uh, what's the deal with Smiles over there?”</p><p> </p><p>Vaggie was shocked. “Wait, you've never heard of him before? You've been here longer than me!” Angel just shrugged, a dumb look plastered onto his face. “The Radio Demon. One of the most powerful beings Hell has ever seen?” He simply shrugs again.</p><p> </p><p>“Eh, not big on politics.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ugh!” Vaggie began her tangent. “Decades ago, Alastor manifested in Hell, seemingly overnight. He began to topple Overlords who have been dominant for centuries. That kind of raw power had never been harnessed by a mortal soul before. Then, he broadcast his carnage all throughout Hell just so everyone could witness his ability. Sinners started calling him "The Radio Demon" (as lazy as that is). Many have speculated what unimaginable force enabled him to rival our world's most ancient and destructive evils. But one thing's for sure: He's an unpredictable source of danger, a wicked spirit of mystery, and a violent monster of chaos, the likes of which we can't risk getting involved with unless we want to end up erased!”</p><p> </p><p>“AHA!” Cori’s quest came to a close. She finally found the ever elusive, fabled bar cloth that she’d spent her life searching for. At least that’s what it felt like to her.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, all eyes were on her, including a piqued Alastor. She stretched her aching limbs, turning to her sudden audience. She blinked once, then twice. There was a weird tall red guy beside Charlie and she seemed slightly uncomfortable.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Charlie, you got water or somethin’? I wanna wash off the blood before I start.” Cori didn’t spare the extremely dangerous demon a second glance, fully resting her attention on Charlie.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, uh, yeah, just a second-” Before she could continue, Alastor made himself the center of attention, needing it to survive apparently.</p><p> </p><p>“Good heavens! What the devil happened to you, young lady?” he expected a shaky answer, or scared silence. He got neither. Christ, he barely gained the lady’s acknowledgement.</p><p> </p><p>“I just need some water, I’ll patch myself up in a second.” She turned back to the Princess of Hell itself, “Charlie?” Her tone suggested that she fetch some water for her. Cori climbed back onto her stool, placing the white towel beside the sorted medical supplies.</p><p> </p><p>“Coming right up!” She was happy to step away from Alastor, but he just <em> had </em> to open up his mouth again. He didn’t take well to being ignored so thoughtlessly. Who the hell did she think she was?</p><p> </p><p>“That won’t be necessary, Charlie dear, I’ve got it covered!” Perhaps a little demonstration would convince the blood covered demon to pay him some attention. With a snap of his fingers, a large bowl of water appeared next to her, lukewarm of course. “I trust this will work nicely?”</p><p> </p><p>Cori let out a low whistle of delight despite the neutral face she held onto. “Ooo, thanks man, neat trick.” She abruptly turned her back to the group of demons, getting to work on wiping away her blood, specifically her hands first. She had yet to realize that her face was also masked behind a thin layer of red.</p><p> </p><p><em> ‘Man’? Did that pathetic creature just refer to me as ‘man’? </em> Alastor was getting <em> slightly </em>irritated at her behaviour. The humming of Alastor’s radio static, caused Cori’s ears to twitch once again. Somehow, Alastor noticed because the static he emitted began to increase in volume, her ears began to twitch sporadically. The frequency emitted pounded against her eardrums forcing her to… sneeze? Objectively speaking, the sound that escaped her was utterly adorable, as if it really came from a kitten.</p><p> </p><p><em> What the fuck? </em> This has never once happened to Cori before. She whipped her head around, to see nothing in particular. The tall red guy was gazing intently at some portraits, Vaggie and Charlie were having a serious talk (probably) and Angel was just chilling on the couch, sucking away at the almost finished popsicle in a lewd manner. Funny enough, the moment she turned around, the humming stopped abruptly. <em> Hmmm… Well that’s odd. </em> She turned back around, continuing to stain the pure white cloth a deep red.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you in need of assistance, my dear?” the weird red guy approached her, curiously. Cori took her time responding, wearing away at his already waning patience.</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, I’ve got it covered. Thanks though.” She didn’t even <em> glance </em> at him.</p><p> </p><p>“Nonsense! You’re quite bloodied up, surely you could use an extra hand.” His toothy smile refused to strain itself or falter. He lent out his right hand and waited expectantly. <em> What the hell is this obnoxious bastard on about? </em></p><p> </p><p>Cori let the towel float in the now murky water and let out a heavy sigh. “Like I said, I’ve got it covered, sir.” Her right hand waved dismissively and swung down slightly, turning her gaze to his eyes, hand, then back up to his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, please darling! You don’t know what’s good for you. I <em> am </em> well versed in human, or should I say, <em> demon </em>anatomy!” He let out an obnoxious laugh, the sound of audience laughter accompanied it causing Cori to quirk a brow and stretch her mouth into a slight smirk that transformed into a small chuckle, letting her eyes close in the process. He withdrew his hand and placed it behind his back.</p><p> </p><p>“Heheh, good one, sir.” She had a soft spot for crappy jokes. Her dad always made them when he was alive.</p><p> </p><p>“Hahaha! No need for formalities, dear, you may call me Alastor. Charmed to meet you.” He reached down to handle the young lady’s right hand, too fast for her to pull away or avoid his unwelcome touch. Before she could get a word in, let alone <em> react </em>, his firm grip assaulted the already shattered bones and ligaments. A cry of seething pain escaped her chapped lips.</p><p> </p><p>“FUCK, dude, lay off will ya!? The thing’s pretty busted up, I don’t need you mangling it up any further, got it?” Her tone was authoritative, but ultimately irritated as she yanked her hand away and a layer of disgust brushed against her features.</p><p> </p><p>Clearly pleased with the turn of events, the red clad man stretched his piss stained smile to its absolute limit, eyes slitted accordingly.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, <em> please </em> forgive me darling, I hadn’t a clue you were so injured!” <em> Yeah you did, you sly fuck. </em>“May I be so bold as to ask you of the cause of such an injury?”</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>This Alastor fellow gazed deep within your tired, unamused eyes, searching for the answer himself. Thankfully, after years and YEARS of practice, you’d perfected the art of lying. Mostly because you stopped giving a shit, but that’s besides the point. All in all, you were a hard book to read, but that only spurred Alastor on to decipher each page. A good challenge was always welcome entertainment in his mind.</p><p> </p><p>“HA, you should see the other guy. I’d be more concerned over his injuries than mine right about now.” you shrugged him off, and turned back to the tired rag, gently wiping at the stained skin. Each stroke revealed more and more damage, purple and black burst forward.</p><p> </p><p>Alastor was skeptical of your response, humming in thought. The location of your injuries didn’t indicate a fight, nor did they seem to be caused by any sort of weapon. You were lying.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that so…” His grin widened but before he could get a word in, Charlie’s apprehensive voice pierced both of your ears. <em> Finally, get this guy off my back, will ya Charles? </em></p><p> </p><p>“Okay, so, Al. You're sketchy as fuck and you clearly see what I'm trying to do here as a joke.” You could hear Charlie’s expressive gesturing with your surprisingly observant ears. They also picked up on an odd white noise that grew in volume before suddenly ceasing altogether.</p><p> </p><p>“But I don't. I think everyone deserves a chance to prove they can be better. So I'm taking your offer to help. On the condition that there be no... tricks or voodoo strings attached.” Truly, their conversation didn’t interest you in the absolute least, not until you heard the rambunctious tellings of Alastor, and a green wind pressed across the room.</p><p> </p><p>“So~ it’s a deal then?”</p><p> </p><p>Now <em> this </em> piqued your curiosity. For the first time in ages, you found yourself tuning into the affairs of others.</p><p> </p><p>“Nope! No shaking! No deals! I... hmm... As princess of Hell and heir to the throne, I, uh, hereby order that you help with this hotel. For as long as you desire.” Charlie seemed nervous and unsure about her words. For the princess of Hell, she was a bit of a pushover. “Sound fair?”</p><p> </p><p>Alastor rubbed his chin in thought of an answer he already knew. His demeanour just <em> oozed </em> of a true showman. “Hmm... Fair enough!” His mic vanished into the palm of his hand causing you to involuntarily raise a brow in yet another wave of curiosity. Since when did you get so… inquisitive? The thought alone caused you even more exhaustion. At least Charlie seemed to calm down a bit.</p><p> </p><p>“... Cool beans.” She muttered softly.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, you caught yourself becoming interested in the ramblings of each resident and you put a quick stop to that. You had no business meddling in things that didn’t concern you. That would just prolong your unfaltering exhaustion.</p><p> </p><p>Mindlessly wiping away and humming a random tune, you didn’t even notice Angel take a seat on a nearby barstool. <em> Nothing </em> could prepare you for what was about to happen.</p><p> </p><p>Apparently, Alastor had been inquiring about staff and other hullabaloo before approaching the slutty spider.</p><p> </p><p>“... And what can you do, my effeminate fellow?” he asked. Without skipping a beat, Angel responded.</p><p> </p><p>“I can suck ya dick.”</p><p> </p><p><em> Immediately </em>, you burst out into a hearty fit of laughter, hunching over and clenching your aching abdomen. The rag was held tight in a firm grasp and you couldn’t help yourself from banging on the bar table with your left fist. The unrelenting howls of laughter echoed through the room, causing heads to turn towards the source of it. A subsequent screech of radio feedback hardly even registered through you. Angel felt a massive tinge of pride wash over him as evident by a side-eyed look and a toothy grin. A slight chuckle left him at your contagious laughter.</p><p> </p><p>After a few moments, you caught your breath and wiped away a bloody tear. “Ha!-Oh, Angel-that was just precious… ” a deep sigh left you before you continued. “Good Christ, I haven’t had a good laugh like that in a loooong time.” A content expression rested on your face as you continued to work away, now beginning to haphazardly bandage your right hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Finally, a sense of humour around ‘ere. Get used to it babe, I’m the funniest guy I know.” He gestured towards his fluffy chest with one of his gloved thumbs. </p><p> </p><p>“Ahem!” Alastor cleared his voice, slightly irritated by the spider’s antics. “Well, this just won't do! I suppose I can cash in a few favors to liven things up.” A lively orange fire sprouted from a decrepit, forgotten fireplace, enveloping the wall into its fiery vines. A charred blob revealed itself after the flames subsided. Without a lick of hesitation, Alastor marched over and picked up the small ball of ash. Watching from your stool at the scene before you, he introduced the object to the room.</p><p> </p><p>“This little darling is Niffty!” Just as the words left his mouth, the blackness poofed away in an instant revealing an adorable little cyclops lady. She was dressed in an old fashioned poodle skirt, a white decorated blouse, and a dark kerchief. Her innocent smile had you wondering how she made it to hell in the first place.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, I'm Niffty! It's nice to meet you! It's been a while since I've made new friends! Why're you all women?” She proceeds to effortlessly lift Charlie up, “Are there any men here?!” placing Charlie back down with an apologetic look, she continues, “ I'm sorry, that's rude.” She was talking a mile a minute and you could barely comprehend her words. “Oooh man, this place is filthy! It really needs a lady's touch! Which is weird because you're all ladies, no offense. Oh my gosh, this is awful!” Niffty begins to zoom around the room, dusting away spider webs, readjusting furniture and stabbing bugs. “Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope! Nope!” The amount of energy she had made <em> you </em>feel tired. She was definitely… something.</p><p> </p><p>The barrage of information barely registered before a more ruff-sounding voice rang through your ears. You hadn’t even noticed the presence of a new bar that occupied the space behind you.</p><p> </p><p>“Hah! Read 'em and weep, boys. Full Hoooooo-tel? What the fuck is this?” An angry growl escapes the feline’s mouth upon noticing then pointed at the red clad deer demon. “You!”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, Husker, my good friend! Glad you could make it!” Alastor’s obnoxious voice rang through your sensitive ears causing them to twitch involuntarily once again. <em> Why are my ears going all crazy today? </em></p><p> </p><p>“Don't you "Husker" me, you son of a bitch! I was about to win the whole damn pot!” A holographic image of piles of money and chips fazed out of existence. You found yourself empathizing with the bitter kitten.</p><p> </p><p>“Good to see you too!” Alastor’s uncanny ability to undermine others was baffling. The irritated scowl only grew on Husk’s face as he sighed defeatedly and face palmed.</p><p> </p><p>“What the hell do you want with me this time...?” In the blink of an eye, Alastor raced over, practically latching onto him in the process.</p><p> </p><p>“My friend, I am doing some charity work so I took it upon myself to volunteer your services! I hope that's okay!” More obscured radio sounds emanate from him as he spoke in a lively manner. Husk was <em> not </em> having it.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you shittin' me?!” Ah, but it <em> was </em>all a joke, now wasn’t it?</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm... No, I don't think so!” His smugness could blow anyone else’s out of the water, and you knew your fair share of complete douche canoes. Husk quickly shoved the touchy demon away from him and began to yell out.</p><p> </p><p>“You thought it'd be some kind of big fucking riot just to pull me out of nowhere?! You think I'm some kind of fucking clown?!” The mischievous grin was all the indication you needed to know what he was thinking.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe!” Of course, a laugh track follows his words immediately after, spurring a small chuckle from you. You didn’t care that you were starting to get invested, this was fun to watch.</p><p> </p><p>“I ain't doing no fucking charity job.” Husk bluntly stated. Alastor, being the shady creep he is, teleported behind him, proceeding to manhandle the fluffy man. <em> Yeah okay, that’s normal. </em></p><p> </p><p>“Well, I figured you would be the perfect face to man the front desk of this fine establishment!” He gestured over to where <em> you </em> were sitting? <em> What? </em> You looked behind you, only to notice that the entire display had changed into an aesthetically appealing bar. ‘What the fuck?’ you whispered under your breath.</p><p> </p><p>“With your charming smile and welcoming energy, this job was made for you! Don't worry my friend,” the clicking of his heels coming towards you caused your head to swivel around, catching his momentary gaze. “I can make this more welcoming! ...If you wish~” A green bottle of cheap booze materialized out of nothing. This guy was full of magic tricks, that’s for sure. Husk took a second to swallow the new information before storming his way over.</p><p> </p><p>“What? You think you can buy me with a wink and some cheap booze?!” Unsurprisingly, Husk yanked the bottle into his grip, face fueled by an apathetic rage, “...Well, you can!” Unceremoniously, he began to chug the bottle in what seemed to be pure desperation. Ohhh, how you wanted some more alcohol. Despite having already ordered two glasses of straight vodka, a drink that just shouted ‘I want to forget everything’, you still craved the burning satisfaction of indulgence.</p><p> </p><p>Your attention was now completely focussed on the demon in front of you, his stare was uncaring but slightly curious while he gazed at you up and down. A commotion rang out from behind you, but you didn’t care to look until Angel sprawled across the bartop, toppling your bandages and other loose articles from it in the process. An annoyed huff escaped your soul itself.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey~” Angel spoke in a seductive tone, undoubtedly craving the attention of the hotel’s newest dick.</p><p> </p><p>“Go fuck yourself.” He spoke harshly, but you would undoubtedly do the same thing. Especially when Angel went in to touch Husk’s face.</p><p> </p><p>“Only if you watch me!” You would have laughed at the remark if it wasn’t Husk on the receiving end of it. Not even thirty seconds had gone by since laying eyes on the guy, but you already found yourself connecting with him on a spiritual level. Thankfully, a (quite literally) beaming Charlie budged in before Angel could get his slutty hands on another strand of fur.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my gosh! Welcome to The Happy Hotel! You are going to love it here!” She was posi-tively shining. Husk, doing the only thing he knew how to do, scowled.</p><p> </p><p>“I lost the ability to love years ago.” He ignored her, continuing to down his drink, you grinned at his words.</p><p> </p><p>The bar quieted down significantly after Charlie and Angel bounced away, leaving you and Husk to bask in an appreciative silence. Who knew he’d be the one to break it.</p><p> </p><p>“The fuck happened to you?” In an attempt to look less curious than he actually was, he offered you a side eyed glance before returning to his bottle.</p><p> </p><p>“Pour me a drink and I’ll tell you.” An amused exhale escaped him, the smallest of grins pulled at his frown.</p><p> </p><p>“Pick your poison.” You wanted something a <em> little </em> different this time around.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm… Reckon you got bourbon behind that counter? Been a while since I had the stuff.” You examined the tips of your blue-ish fingers, unsurprised at the amount of skin and flesh that got torn off during your little outburst. Without a word, Husk examined the shelves, quickly locating a few different brands.</p><p> </p><p>“Type?”</p><p> </p><p>“The well option will do just fine.” Letting out a sigh, you hardly even winced as the exposed fingers came into contact with the disinfectant. At this point of your existence, it would take a <em> lot </em> to get you howling in pain.</p><p> </p><p>Husk began preparing your drink, but was quickly interrupted by the sound of… jazz music and singing. </p><p> </p><p>Great.</p><p> </p><p>You <em> despised </em> such music and atmosphere. The lights darkened, objects adopted neon hues and the blaring music caused your eye to twitch in what can only be described as unadulterated irritation of the highest degree. You spent the majority of your life exposed to similar sights and sounds, and unwelcome nostalgia ran rampant through you. At this moment, you wanted nothing more than to be erased from your stupid fucking existence.</p><p> </p><p>Unrelenting singing and playing of instruments prompted you to cover your now aching ears. It was only when you touched them that you realized something was off about them. Instead of lying flat at the sides of your head, they extended outwards into a fine point. They had to have been a few inches long at <em> least </em>. It seems you were cursed with great hearing for being born in the wrong time and place. And hear, you did.</p><p> </p><p>♫ Let’s give these burning fools a place to dwell! ♫</p><p> </p><p>Everyone’s attire was changed in an instant, including your own. Your bloody, dirty hair was pulled up into a low bun, allowing two curly sections to dangle beside your face. A black knee length dress clung to your upper body perfectly, a shallow v-neck allowed some room for imagination. A blue ribbon hugged your abdomen, before the dress sprawled out freely beneath you, pairing nicely with the blue collar and bordered sleeves. Yet another blue ribbon wrapped around your neck, completing the 20’s housewife look that was unwillingly thrust upon you. <em> I’m gonna off myself the first chance I get, I swear to God. </em></p><p> </p><p>Husk slid over the drink, catching your wandering attention. As if it were a miracle cure for unending pain, you practically chugged the damn thing down, not even able to enjoy the flavour. <em> HA! ‘Enjoy’. What a fucking joke. </em>The bartender hardly spared you a second glance. He was basically doing the same thing after all.</p><p> </p><p>Alastor danced across the room, harassing and handling each person without a care in the world. Upon feeling a clawed hand run across your head, you flinched and slapped it away with your right hand. The abrupt contact caused it to vibrate in pain, but you were too busy seething in rage after being touched so nonchalantly. </p><p> </p><p>Your stare was <em> bone chilling </em>.</p><p> </p><p>Contempt poured from your wide glazed eyes that were trained on the perpetrator. The rest of your face remained neutral, but that only added to the layers of portrayed hatred that you put on. The worst part was that Alastor seemed to bask in the look prevalent in your large eyes as his smile stretched up and his eyes narrowed. He was <em> relishing </em> in it. Who knew a simple touch could elicit such a reaction. A dark chuckle escaped him before he continued to sing around.</p><p> </p><p>♫ Haha! Inside of every demon is a lost cause! But we'll dress 'em up for now, with just a smile! ♫</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ♫ With a smile! ♫  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He danced down the hall.</p><p> </p><p>♫ And we'll chlorinate this cesspool with some old redemption flair! And show these simpletons some proper class and style! ♫</p><p> </p><p>A similar looking shadow springs forth from the ground and encompasses him.</p><p> </p><p>♫ Class and style! ♫</p><p> </p><p>Alastor snaps his fingers, fluidly turning his attention elsewhere. Elsewhere being Charlie of course.</p><p> </p><p>♫ Oh! Here below the ground, I'm sure your plan is sound! ♫</p><p> </p><p>He twirled around with the more than willing princess.</p><p> </p><p>♫ They'll spend a little time, down at this Hazbin Ho―♫</p><p> </p><p>Before he could get his final word in, the lobby’s front door was blown off its hinges, sweeping away Niffty’s miniscule body in the process. Everyone’s clothing had changed back to normal, before they all curiously investigated the source of the ear raping explosion.</p><p> </p><p>You reluctantly slid up and walked over to the massive hole in the wall, settling on watching the group from a distance. There was no way you were getting more involved than you already were.</p><p> </p><p>Up above, was a huge zeppelin that peered down at the group and manning the contraption was none other than a snake man. <em> Oooo, I love snakes. </em>That thought quickly fled you the moment he opened his mouth.</p><p> </p><p>“Hah! Well, well, well. Look who it is harboring the striped freak! We meet yet again, Alastor!” <em> Oh, so the pricks know each other, how fitting… </em>Of course, Alastor responded demeaning the snake in the process.</p><p> </p><p>“Do I know you?” His ego, very visually deflates.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, yes you do! And this time, I have the element of-SURPRISE! Ahaha! I'm so evil!” This fucker’s voice was giving you a damn migraine. <em> Shut the fuck up, you asshat </em>. Your ears curled against your head slightly as you winced in annoyance. Thankfully he was soon quieted.</p><p> </p><p>Black tentacles swam out of a conveniently placed portal, ironically constricting and breaking it in every conceivable manner. The only thing you could make out was Alastor’s maniacal expression with an impossibly wide smile.</p><p> </p><p>After being promptly swallowed whole by the chasms below, everything was silent for a few moments. Only the distant screeching of cars and demons plagued the atmosphere. You hated the noise with a burning passion and you silently cursed the being responsible for granting you good hearing. They really knew how to grind your gears, that’s for sure. The ambiance only lasted a couple seconds before the showman’s voice returned to assault the air once more.</p><p> </p><p>“...Well, I'm starved! Who wants some Jambalaya? My mother once showed me a wonderful recipe for Jambalaya. In fact, it nearly killed her! Hahaha! You could say the kick was right out of Hell! Ohoho, I'm on a roll! Yes, sir! This is the start of some real changes down here!” They were all walking towards the hotel, specifically the makeshift entrance. What you wanted was the rest of your bourbon. That whole ordeal was a complete waste of time. Curiosity fucking sucked.</p><p> </p><p>Nearing the barstool, you lifted yourself up. Your head started spinning at the sudden incline, sore hands shot to the corner to steady your weary body. Maybe a horrible concussion mixed with a little too much alcohol wasn’t the best idea. Blood loss probably had something to do with it too.</p><p> </p><p>As if your brain was trying to rewire certain automatic systems, all energy was channelled to maintaining balance. Everyone’s obnoxious banter began drowning out as the ringing in your ears grew louder, the edge of your vision darkened as you slowly lost feeling in your body. Even your thoughts slowed down, unable to compute what was going on. Somebody’s hand on your shoulder snapped you out of the trance for only a single moment and you instinctively turned your entire body around, ready to give them a piece of your mind. Bad idea.</p><p> </p><p>You were unable to make out who had touched you because the moment you swung around, your vision blurred, only able to mumble out a mass of incoherent nonsense.</p><p> </p><p>Consciousness was practically ripped away from you as all your senses simultaneously fell to the ground. In the very depths of your soul, you had hoped this was the final sleep you’d take before returning to the nothingness you came from.</p><p> </p><p>Alas, fate was cruel and did not bend to your will.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Here’s what Cyps looks like! </p><p>https://www.dropbox.com/s/avblt9n0ug3npat/cyps.jpg?dl=0</p><p>Would you guys like to see a drawing for every chapter?</p><p>Drawing of Cyps done by me, if you'd like to see more of my work, check out my twitter @indulging_g_p. Commissions are open, and are also super cheap.</p><p>Thanks for reading, comments and criticism are welcome!</p><p>Cheers!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Wake Up Call</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>You wake up in a strange room. I wonder what happens next :,)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alastor go monch monch</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A muted tone of white was brushed with the lightest layer of red which resembled that of dry flesh. It was warm. The warm tranquility of the peaceful hue was enough to hypnotize even the most stubborn of souls. It spun in smooth circles which only added to the illusion and dizziness that plagued anyone that dared laid eyes on the sight.</span>
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<p>
  <span>Who knew a colour could be so full of movement.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Objectively speaking, the colour was boring, stale even, bread that had been left out a little too long. It wasn’t even that inviting, the splash of pink was out of place and unnatural prompting a sense of unease and uncertainty.</span>
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<p>
  <span>And yet you were utterly captivated by its simplicity.</span>
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<p>
  <span>Reluctantly, the rest of the room fell into view, providing context for the intriguing shade. You were staring at the damn ceiling. Violent hues of red assaulted the slightly corrupted whiteness, trapping it between each wall. Ever so slowly, consciousness gradually took hold of your battered, beaten mind, forcing it to participate in whatever your senses could latch onto.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>First up were your tactile senses. A light fabric covered your body while it rested atop a soft, squishy surface. Each heartbeat sent a wave through your abdomen as you found yourself nuzzling into the trapped warmth beneath the silken prison.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Next up was the olfactory senses. Stale blood ran rampant through the air. It was unwelcoming. The scent brought you back to times you wish you could forget, experiences you wished never happened, though a silent seed of nostalgia sprang forth from the pain, reminding you that at one point, you actually enjoyed the smell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A similar feeling invaded your taste buds as well, the metallic taste overwhelmed the poor muscle. You were convinced after all this time that blood was the only thing you could taste so explicitly and deliciously. Whether or not it belonged to you or someone else did not matter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, auditory sensations began to break through the prominent ringing that lingered beyond your mind. A distant ticking made itself known, reminding you of the passage of time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A deep sigh fled from your lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Where the Hell am I?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Shifting your weight upwards was a bad decision. The moment you did, the blood scurried away from your aching brain causing you to wince abruptly. Oh right. You probably had a concussion. But hey, it never stopped you before so why should it stop you then?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without a moment’s hesitation, you swung your legs off the bed, pushing the rest of your weight onto them as you hoisted yourself up slowly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So help me God, if this migraine isn’t gone in an hour, I’m gonna blow a fuse. </span>
  </em>
  <span>You had a lot of work to do and you’d be damned before you let a mild injury get in the way. After all, you had a debt to pay and didn’t want to exist any longer than you already did. The moment Cyps got his money, you planned on skedaddling right then and there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Much to your dismay, the pain in your head didn’t seem like it was leaving anytime soon. You barely noticed yourself fall to the ground with a loud thump that resonated in your eardrums. Christ, it seemed gravity was out to get you too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Your breathing started to shallow, eyes glazed over and head was spinning. If you weren’t delirious then, you were now, that’s for damn sure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A series of ear piercing knocks caused you to flinch away from the source. In an act of pure desperation, your hands flew to each ear respectively gripping onto them tightly as the knocking hastened. You couldn’t even be sure if the sounds were real or not. Before you could come to your own conclusion, however, the door pushed open revealing a concerned Charlie in its frame. She seemed distraught but you couldn’t quite figure out why. It hadn’t even dawned on you that you may have been bleeding all over the carpeted floor. Your only goal was asking for work, nothing was going to get in your way. Nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Apparently, Charlie had been saying words, but you couldn’t quite decipher them through a thick haze. Guess that meant it was your turn to talk. Good thing your mouth was barely able to function.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“O-oh, h-hey, u-um, I-” When did it get so hard to speak? “Wondering… if-if work?” Once again, you failed to notice the increasing number of legs in the room, let alone Charlie’s expression. The only thing you </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> notice were the barely english mumblings that spat out of you like a leaky faucet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You swallowed hard, focussing all your energy on the simple act of communication.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ahem- sorry bout’ that. It seems… I’m a bit woozy” your heavy eyelids blinked slowly and at different intervals. “I was, uh- wondering if you could- give me- a job.” Finally, the words managed to climb their way out of you mildly unscathed. You’ve never been so determined to do anything before now. Apparently, you couldn’t catch a damn break because your life didn’t even let you hear the concerned mumblings of Charlie who was probably more than happy to give you a job.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was only while stumbling to your feet did you realize the blood seeping from your forehead onto the ground.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh.” was the last thing you said before watching the ground accelerate towards you, blacking out in the process.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Charlie barely caught the bloody corpse before it re-acquainted itself with the stained floor. Blood seeped out of the girl’s forehead at an alarming rate. How she even managed to achieve such a wound was beyond her, all that mattered now was patching her up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh gosh, could someone give me a hand?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were two other bodies in the room, along with an eavesdropping Angel just outside the door. Vaggie just stood in confusion, too hesitant to touch the body. Alastor on the other hand was more than happy to manhandle such a torn up creature. It hadn’t even been a few hours since he arrived at the hotel, and he was already being thoroughly entertained by this sudden development. This woman didn’t even seem to realize how injured she was; physical pain was probably beyond her at this point. He devilishly wondered what he could do to hear cries of pain howl from its being? How far would he have to go? The thought intrigued him enough to “help” out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Worry not dear, I’ll take care of things here, busy yourself with other things why don’t you. It’ll all be done in a jiffy!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-Uh, are you sure? I just need help getting her to the bed, I can do it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, please, I insist!” Alastor grabbed ahold of Charlie’s shoulders and forcibly escorted her out of the room, grabbing hold of the unconscious body like a sack of potatoes. “Run along now, you’ve got a hotel to run!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait- Al, what are you-” the door slammed shut before she could get another word in. Now, it was just Alastor and his plaything inside the room. Just as he wanted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He laid the sinner down with a gracefulness that only a true gentleman could muster. Despite being passed out, it didn’t seem like she was actually resting. Her body was tense, and her face was painted with discomfort and unease. The reason was beyond him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At any rate, he had to dress her reopened wound. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t take his time. He wanted to enjoy it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He unfurled the pre-existing bandage from her forehead and what he saw made his mouth water. A section of her skull was on full display, blood pooled around it anxiously, trying to fix what was broken. It looked so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>delicious</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was begging to be exploited, licked clean. Tabs of flesh peeled back, revealing more of the purple meat underneath. The scent only fueled him on as he looked on with a wide, sinister smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just one… That’s all I’ll have… </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The glistening beads of red flowed freely down the sides of her face, waiting to be swept up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alastor ‘s thoughts were fueled by an unrelenting hunger that could only be satiated by the sight before him. It took all his willpower to not devour the woman whole but that didn’t stop him from literally salivating over her body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without realizing it, he had crawled over the dormant lady, and had actually begun drooling over her chest as if he were a feral predator. He could hold back no longer. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just one…</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In an instant, Alastor’s warm, slobbery tongue lapped over the wound, revealing to him a taste most </span>
  <em>
    <span>exquisite</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It was everything he’d expected </span>
  <em>
    <span>and more. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Oh God he wanted more. He was foolish to think he could resist taking another taste. He wanted to relish in this state of pure bliss for all of eternity. Never before had he had the pleasure of experiencing a sensation such as this.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His moist muscle searched for more, each pass prompted more and more desperation. He eagerly swallowed any crimson he could find. Hot breath ricocheted off the pale being’s face as her skin got progressively more and more coated in his unrestrained desire. He had to control himself soon, lest he dare to take a bite. He couldn’t do that and get away with it… Could he? </span>
  <em>
    <span>No. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He had to reel it in for God’s sake. Was he really that desperate?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An animalistic groan escaped his maw before he shut it indefinitely. His smile wavered slightly before perking back up in eagerness. He simply would not, </span>
  <em>
    <span>could not</span>
  </em>
  <span> allow such a delicacy to go to waste.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alastor’s desires originated long before his arrival in Hell. The taste of human flesh never ceased to entice him and eventually, the cravings for such meats overtook him and his appetite. The form he’d been ‘graced’ with was a cruel mockery of his true nature. Every sinner in Hell had done </span>
  <em>
    <span>something</span>
  </em>
  <span> to earn their body, whatever shape they adopted was more often than not a symbol of the sins they committed through the most ironic of means. It was Hell after all, and Hell was a place of eternal suffering.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Subsided were his animalistic urges as he examined the demon laying under him. Every drop of blood had been taken away by his long tongue and her gash was now bare. Wrapping her up would be easy work now, why, he should’ve thought of doing this sooner! He certainly was making good time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Removing himself from the bed, Alastor’s gaze was heavy on the sleeping figure. As if it could only now feel the presence of something, it began to stir slightly. Her brows furrowed as she turned onto her side, mumbling incoherent nonsense to God knows who. That didn’t matter right now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah, ah, ah~ Come back here darling~” he cooed possessively over her, forcing her body towards him in the process.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Little Charlie would have my head if I were not to tend to your wounds after all~” He stripped from his pinstripe suit and began rolling up his bright red sleeves, grabbing the white bandages that laid on the mahogany nightstand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her head was resistant to raising above a comfortable level, but she couldn’t exactly do a lot about it, now could she? The bandage wrapped around the damaged head three times before stopping, on queue for Alastor to secure it in place with two pins. There wasn’t any need for disinfectant, (for obvious reasons) so the process went by fairly quickly. The scent of her blood was still heavy in the air. He needed to leave, and fast before his actions got out of hand. Gathering his coat, he turned to the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-Ivon?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ivon… where… you…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Now what’s this? </span>
  </em>
  <span>She was talking in her sleep. What could she be going on about? Was Alastor curious? Damn right he was. Did he want to pry into the life of some pathetic woman? Of course.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why, I’m right here darling” He responded, leaning over the body in front of him. Maybe psychological warfare was the best way to break her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She flopped onto her side, desperate to find the source of his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-von…” Her tense face contorted into one of concern and sadness as she reached out her hand in hopes of touching the alleged ‘Ivon’.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s the matter, dearest?” it was slightly irritating that he was not the direct cause of her unhappiness, but he would take what he could get. Besides, if he could figure out what it was she was talking about, he would be able to use it against her later. Perfect.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Where… where are you?” At this point, she was frantically twitching around the bed, searching for something. Her breaths became shallow and quickened to a most unhealthy pace. She was spiraling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alastor just stood by to watch the show.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His smile only expanded at the sight of something so helplessly pathetic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took all he had to suppress a deep rooted chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly, her eyes shot open and she clenched her chest in order to manually slow her accelerating heart rate. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not this fucking bullshit… </span>
  </em>
  <span>Disgust painted itself onto her wet face. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Wait what? Why is my face all gross and weird?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What in the Christ..?” she whispered to herself, unaware of the other body in the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Darling! You’re awake!” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Too loud. Way too fucking loud.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“AH, JEEZ, BUDDY!” Alastor scared the Christ out of her poor soul. “Keep it down, will ya? Where the Hell am I? Why is my face all… wet?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, no he completely ignored her. How was she even up in the first place?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve all been worried sick, don’t you know? You collapsed after that fiasco in the lobby, and if it hadn’t been for I, who knows what state you’d be in right now!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay first of all, buddy, right now you’re at about a nine, I’m gonna need you to bring it down to a four, got that?” Cori sat up on the mattress before continuing, not letting him get a single word in, “Second of all, I’m fine, I’ve been through plenty worse, I don’t need nobody’s help.” without skipping another beat, she stood up, only to topple forward slightly, bracing for inevitable impact. She let out a small </span>
  <em>
    <span>oof</span>
  </em>
  <span> as her face smashed into the tall man’s chest, more specifically his right peck. He had no business being as tall as he was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mhm, what was that about not needing anyone's help?” Alastor tightened his grip around the small woman, making it known just who exactly was in charge here.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get. Your. Filthy. Hands. Off of me.” Cori looked up, a sour, disgusted expression plastered onto her moist face. Her own hands went to forcibly push him off of her, but to no avail. It was clear Alastor wasn’t letting go anytime soon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, now, no need for such hostilities! We both know quite well that if I were to let go, you’d plummet to the ground that you seem far too familiar with!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cori was in no mood for this thing’s shenanigans, but didn’t have the energy to free herself from this situation. What the Hell was she supposed to do? The horrendous static constantly assaulted her poor ears, the urge to give up and submit grew stronger by the second. Could she afford to accept help? Could she truly trust this demon to aid her?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No chance in Hell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you, I’d be fine. Now stop touching me you strawberry cunt.” You were seething in an undeniable rage. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How DARE you touch me with your filthy hands you disgusting creature. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Little did you know that this was the reaction Alastor was yearning for.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me oh my! What foul language coming from a Lady no less! Didn’t your mother ever teach you manners? Oh how the world has fallen!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Mother</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That single word caused your blood to boil, and boil it didn’t. In fact, it did the opposite. While reluctantly resting in Alastor’s arms, your skin got noticeably frostier, almost completely white. Cold air weeped off of your being in waves upon waves of bone chilling flames. At the mere </span>
  <em>
    <span>mention</span>
  </em>
  <span> of your mother, your body seemed to morph into the very bitter hatred you felt for that vile woman. Hands clenched tightly against Al’s dress shirt as if it were your lifeline. Your mother’s death was still fresh in your mind, as it happened only a few days ago. The only escape you had from a lifetime of prolonged pain was inexistence, and even that had been denied from you. You were stuck. Trapped. Confined in the walls of your own mind for what would no doubt feel like eternity. Happiness, bliss, tranquility were all foreign concepts with no real meaning. Now, and for how ever long you had left to exist, you would never feel anything but an unrelenting pain in your chest, mocking you with every last breath. When was the last time you were truly happy? Was there ever a time, or have you simply forgotten it? What even was the point of remembering. It would have happened in the past, and you had no business there. All that mattered was the present. And right now, you felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>rage</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alastor’s gaze fixed to your expression. They were empty and dead, defeated and defiled. What could’ve caused such a stare? He hadn’t seen it before and that piqued his unending curiosity. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What might be going through that pretty little head of yours, darling?</span>
  </em>
  <span> She seemed to forget where she was, too lost in her subconscious to realize. Or maybe she just accepted the fact. It was impossible to tell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What ripped his attention away from her cold, void eyes was his own chill. Why was it suddenly so cold in the room? His gaze stretched from place to place, searching for the cause. To his simultaneous surprise and delight, it was coming from </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Waves of cold air collided with his body, bringing with them a host of unfamiliar feelings. It just occurred to him that he never actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt</span>
  </em>
  <span> cold before. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Real</span>
  </em>
  <span> cold. Sure, Louisiana had its fair share of cool winters, but they were never sub-zero. And without a doubt in his mind, what was being cast off her was the very essence of cold itself. Alastor’s arms and chest began burning in what he could only assume to be frostbite. He smiled widely at the new sensation, but he’d have to gush a little later. Things were getting a bit out of hand at an alarming speed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be a dear and stop that, will you? It’s getting awfully chilly sweetheart.” He lowered down to her level, looking into her eyes all the while. The moisture in the room started to condense, allowing brisk air to traverse his lungs with ease. It stung.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alastor..?” Cori said, lifting her head up to meet his.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, dear?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you erase me?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm drowning in school work, send help</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. $33.25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>A friendly discussion between the reader and Alastor! </p>
<p>How cute uwu!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A literal and metaphorical cold silence overtook the frosty room. For the first time in a decades, Alastor didn’t know what to say.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I beg your pardon?” was all he could muster out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sure, he met his fair share of hopeless, suicidal souls in Hell, but this one was a tad different. From what he could tell, she’d been through a lot in her days of living, fortifying the belief that she is a stubbornly hard worker. Nothing seemed to phase her anymore, not even his presence. She still had priorities, and that was a fleeting trait of those with no reason to live. So why the sudden change?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t really feel like paying back Cyps before I leave. I think I’d just rather do it now.” mumbled the woman.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> was curious. She had to pay someone back before she sought leaving this existential plane? She had a debt to pay and was willing-no-</span>
  <em>
    <span>determined</span>
  </em>
  <span> to fulfill it before leaving? That didn’t make sense… People take their own lives in order to </span>
  <em>
    <span>escape</span>
  </em>
  <span> debts, yet here you were. The question is, what made her give up completely?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it you owe?” Maybe it was monumental enough to keep you here. Maybe it was too important to leave behind. Maybe it was closure she chased…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“$33.25.” she deadpanned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Right when he thought he understood the human psyche, this little item decides to throw the curveball of the century. He was truly baffled, speechless even. So desperately did he want to understand this woman’s mind. It would no doubt provide him with endless entertainment seeing as she seems to have already captured his interest. Not only in that respect, but in the abilities she has as well… It’s been well over a few centuries since a demon of her capabilities had surfaced in hell. And it was currently in </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> hands. This excited him to no end. </span>
  <em>
    <span>His</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He would not let this woman escape him, she was too valuable. If his memory serves correct, the last demon to have possessed a similar affinity was endlessly sought after. They became trophies, tools to those more powerful. These individuals certainly weren’t the strongest creatures, but because of their exceedingly rare and distinguished traits they were hunted down like dogs, and kept as pets. They never did last long though… Higher powers would always erase them as soon as possible lest they became a threat in the right hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alastor wasn’t going to let you cease existing. You were far too valuable to him. He would lock you in a cellar if he had to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well? Can you do it or not?” Consciousness was flooding back into your mind rapidly, and as it did, the room’s warmth returned. You hadn’t even noticed the temperature change.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sight of Alastor’s impossibly large smile and the joy that literally seeped out of his wide eyes unnerved you slightly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just what is it this bastard’s thinking?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I won’t be able to fulfill your rather peculiar request, my dear… Say, you wouldn’t be interested in making a deal, would you? Perhaps I could be of service with your little predicament…” He cooed, seducing you with his intriguing voice. This time, it was more gentle, lined with a lot less static and white radio noise. His smile transitioned into a mischievous smirk and you could tell he was up to something. Something bad. His surprisingly strong arms slithered away from your waist and lined themselves up behind his back. Finally, you were free. Taking a step back, you felt the back of your knee hit the bed. But you were NOT going to cower any time soon, no sir. You’ve had it with that. If you’re to get hurt or die, just let it happen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you take me for an idiot, a two cent whore, or both?” You crossed your arms and looked at the deer demon intently, scrutinizing his gaze with your own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“My my, you’ve quite the mouth on you young lady! Who’s to say I don’t find you cunning…” His right hand emerged from its hiding spot, summoning his microphone in the process, thudding it against the carpeted floor. Your ears twitched at the sudden unwelcome noise. “Wouldn’t you at least like to know what’s in it for you? I can assure you, it’ll be worth your while~”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silence lingered on for a few moments, the only sound being the ticking of the grandfather clock behind you. You knew your way around dealmaking, and you’d be caught dead before you let someone beat you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that so…” you stated, demeanour shifting into a serious one. “I know very well how these things work, so why don’t you tell me this; what are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to get out of it? Ignorant, naive little people easily get swayed by what is said initially. It’s always the promise of something wonderful in exchange for something else, never the other way around. So </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>tell me what </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>want, hm? What is it you could possibly desire from little ol’ me?” Your words were confident, unflinching in their tone. The pain your body felt slowly slipped away into your subconscious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alastor had a hunch you were smart, and your response only solidified that. Then again, he wasn’t one to pass up a challenge. Two could play at this game.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A cautious one aren’t you… No matter, I believe both ends of the deal will be mutually beneficial! In return for your servitude, I shall offer you not only protection, but means of eradication as well! Quite the bargain, wouldn’t you say?” his gestures were meant to be visually stimulating, but you weren’t falling for it. Not for a single second.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Define ‘servitude’” you spoke plainly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why, it’s quite simple darling! If I am in need of assistance, you shall oblige.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Define ‘assistance’”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You were starting to irk him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I need help or ask something of you, you shall do it, without question.” Alastor’s eyes held a lingering malice, and you knew better than to make a deal with the devil. He was asking for far too much, regardless of what you were promised in return.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see…” immediately, your voice pitched up into the most condescending idiotic tone you could muster, “So you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> take me for an idiot!” You tilted your head and batted your eyelashes innocently while clasping your hands together in front of you. “You see, Mr. Alastor, I can already count up a number of issues with this deal you so graciously thrusted upon me. Complete ownership of my being?” you began to circle him, “I wonder how many poor souls you’ve gathered with your manipulation of human script… Perhaps Husk and Niffty are a product of your smooth talking, but I can tell you one thing. I won’t be.” you stop in front of him once again. “It sounds to me like you prey on the souls of the weak who can be easily manipulated for not only your own smug satisfaction, but your self gratification as well. You can’t seem to exist without some sort of validation, and how do you manage that? Acting like a child and bullying smaller children on this playground you call Hell. And for what? Entertainment? Bullshit. You just crave the attention of others to fill the void in your soul. Taking such enormous pride in such a trivial matter only goes to show how insecure you really are. Don’t play this game with me you obnoxious asshole, I’m not like those other other children.” You ended your tangent with a heavy exhale. You only knew Alastor for such a short period of time, and yet you feel as if you’ve figured him out completely. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Typical. Now what say you to that Alastor?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Little do you know, you just dug your own grave.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, well, well, it seems you’re quite the little psychologist! I hadn’t the slightest of clues there was someone so gifted within these walls, why, I would’ve thought you were centuries old! What wise words…” His wicked smile grew tenfold. You picked the wrong character to interrogate, “from such a young soul. I’d bet you think you have me all figured out, now don’t you? Allow me to test the waters then, yes? Do correct me if I make any mistakes!” His face had ‘I win’ written all over it. If your words deflated his ego, he was damn good at hiding it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A poor little girl grows up in a faraway city!” Alastor channels his inner narrator, providing you with visually stimulating movements while doing so, “Life is rough for our fragile protagonist, but an unknown force pushes her through the most chaotic of scenery! As a means of survival, the girl adapts to the harsh realities of everyday life, meeting hundreds, if not thousands of like minded people while doing so… Our hero grows accustomed to these individuals, picking apart their behaviour and temperament in order to retain her own fleeting humanity! What a tragic tale…” his voice drops an octave, and he gives you a knowing look, “of such a naive little girl…” He paused for a moment, allowing the words to sink into your sensitive ears. “However, our little hero makes one fatal error that would surely cost her greatly!” He returned to his narrator persona, “She becomes </span>
  <em>
    <span>careless</span>
  </em>
  <span>, </span>
  <em>
    <span>self-righteous</span>
  </em>
  <span> even! Her tiny little mind believes it has it all figured out…” he continues to make a show of his gestures, “why, she’s met every person, lived every experience, felt every emotion, hasn’t she? No task is too great for our protagonist! How could </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span>, a being that’s lived five of her lifetimes come to understand such a </span>
  <em>
    <span>complex</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>intriguing</span>
  </em>
  <span> creature…” vials of sarcasm oozed from each spoken word, “Ah, but in her teetering moment of arrogance, she makes the mistake of crossing her enemy!” He leans into your personal space, causing you to instinctually step back, colliding with the bed in the process, “Being so bold as to fabricate her own assumptions no less! How daring of her…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You didn’t know what to say, so you stood there in silence, slightly tense. All other sounds were muffled out, his sweet voice was the only thing you heard.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“To think she would be her own undoing… Almost as tragic a tale as Oedipus.” A pause. Alastor decided to take one more stab into that personal bubble of yours, looming completely in front of you mere inches away from your face. Each breath he took elicited a damp warmth onto your irritated visage. Any closer and you’d fall onto the bed as if pushed down by an invisible force. His form stilled in front of you, and his tone of voice changed ever so slightly, carrying with it a sizable portion of matter-of-fact-ness. Each syllable pressed warmly against you. “The sheer quantity of assumptions you’ve stated here today leads me to believe that it’s really </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> who’s in need of gratification. Pointing childish little fingers in the direction of anything ‘bad’ makes you feel better doesn’t it? The temporary sensation of being </span>
  <em>
    <span>above</span>
  </em>
  <span> someone is that attractive hm? Are you really </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> desperate for a false sense of pride? </span>
  <em>
    <span>How pitiful. </span>
  </em>
  <span>And you call </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> insecure.” Alastor was a lot closer to you than you would’ve liked, but you absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>refused </span>
  </em>
  <span>to budge. There was no way in Heaven or Hell you would crumble under such a smug, arrogant demon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You listened to each of his words intently, unflinching. Him being right about a few things irked the crap out of you to no end, but you would never let him see that he got to you. What you needed now was a short, to the point rebuttal and fast.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But no words came out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An ear piercing silence took hold of the room, your heartbeat grew faster.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Each second of silence brought the looming demon more and more satisfaction that splayed across his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Say something, anything! Out with it Cori, don’t let this fucker win!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cat got your tongue dear, or am I right in my assumptions?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have no right to call </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> arrogant, you self-centered dickhead. HA-I bet you get off to the mere mention of your name from your own mouth. It certainly wouldn’t surprise me, that’s for damn sure.” You crossed your arms and stood your ground. “Your theatrics are exhausting and hold no real meaning. You’re just putting up a front to appear stronger than you really are, aren’t you? Well guess what. I see right through your little façade, and there’s nothing you can do or say to convince me otherwise. Take your deal, and shove it up that pretentious ass of yours.” This remark was punctuated by pushing your left hand against his chest in an attempt to push him away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Needless to say, that was a bad idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moment your hand brushed up against the soft satin of his bright red dress shirt, an aura of intense malice emanated from his being. His own right hand flew to your wrist, squeezing it tightly. Thank the heavens you didn’t slip up and use your right hand or else the sheer weight of his hold would’ve crushed the poor thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>-“Don’t you dare touch me, you filthy lowlife”-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without a doubt, you had the upper hand, and both of you knew that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Or else what?! You’re going to erase me? Well that would just be giving me what I want, now wouldn’t it? And you can’t have that now can you? Break my bones, make me feel unimaginable pain, I’ve felt it all before! There’s nothing you can do to own me, and that pisses you right off doesn’t it? For the first time in what I can only assume to be decades, you’re not in control of something. And you never </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You can’t touch me”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You had him backed into a corner with your verbal prowess. It seemed you were pressing all the right buttons. His blood red eyes shifted into radio dials and his small antlers expanded and contorted with a sickening crack. If he erases you, you win. If he hurts you, you win. If he forces more empty words into your ears, you win.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And these facts caused a manic smile to cross your face. This was the sweet taste of victory you so dearly missed. And yet, Alastor continued to surprise you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a heavy exhale, the deer backed off and relaxed ever so slightly into his own skin. He had a few more tricks up his sleeve. The sudden change in his demeanour was off putting, your eyes grew suspicious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tut tut darling, this is the thanks I get for just trying to help! My efforts are wasted once again… It’s a shame really, the youth are always taking things for granted these days!” He batted his eyelashes innocently before meeting your suspicious gaze once again. It turned threateningly mischievous, urging you to ask a follow up question. You obliged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And whatever would that imply, Mr. Alastor? It just sounds to me like you’re desperate.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’m glad you asked!” Alastor wrapped his lanky but horrifically strong right arm around your shoulders much to your dismay, “You see, darling, it has come to my attention that you are what we demon’s refer to as ‘rare goods’! Do you know what that means?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before you could even open your mouth to respond, the lights flickered off, one spotlight rested on your form while Alastor twirled you around, disappearing into the shadows all the while.  You couldn’t see anything 2 feet in front of you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That means, everyone wants you of course! Demons, imps, hellhounds, overlords, even Lucifer himself will crave your presence!” As he listed them, glowing silhouettes of each kind appeared around you, eyeing you hungerly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell is he talking about?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And do you know why that is?” Alastor suddenly appeared behind you, his glowing red eyes loomed over you like a spotlight, before grabbing you with both hands. His face craned itself beside your own, his smile ever present.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You possess something the likes of Hell hasn’t seen in quite some time. A dozen or so centuries in fact. You may not realize it yet, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> do…” He fell back into his shadow, “Now then, what were to happen if someone were to say, oh-I don’t know-broadcast this information across Hell? Don’t you think something </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad </span>
  </em>
  <span>might happen?” Immediately, all the silhouettes lunged towards you, fading to a smoky mist once coming into contact. “And we wouldn’t want that here, now would we?” All you could make out were his slitted red eyes that seemed to pierce the darkness itself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course he was threatening you. Why wouldn’t he?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What in the fuck are you talking about? I just got here!” you snapped, clearly irritated at his shenanigans. “Oh and please, do tell! Why on earth would anyone, and I mean </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone</span>
  </em>
  <span> hunt me down like some sort of prize, as you said? You’re really just grasping at straws now, aren’t you? Fucking bullshit.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He only chuckled darkly from what could only be every direction at once.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just look down, sweetheart…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Confused and skeptical, your head began to tilt downward. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell is he-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the shit?!” you momentarily jumped out of your skin, startled at what laid before your eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Blue fire encased your bandaged up hands, slowly waving in periodic motion. Immediately, you tried to pat it off, afraid of being severely burned. But it never did. In fact, it wasn’t hot at all. It just felt like wind to you, hazily brushing up against you sweetly, reminiscent of a cold silken sheet. What surprised you even more was the state of the blood soaked bandages. Inspecting them further, you realized they began to harden, molecules condensed and slowed, cracks formed sporadically within the fabric before it finally snapped to dust, swaying to the ground, incinerating before even touching it. The gentle flames receded back into the points of your light blue fingertips, disappearing completely once doing so.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jesus Christ jumping on a breadstick, what the FUCK was that?!” you had only been in hell for less than a day or so, but you’d already seen and accepted the existence of a lot of weird shit. Especially when it came to other demons. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>weren’t</span>
  </em>
  <span>, however, ready to see literal blue flames engulf your limbs and freeze something? Isn’t hell supposed to be hot?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, well, it seems you really </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> new around here. That would be an ability only seen in Hell every several centuries or so, and because of its exceedingly unique characteristics, every denizen across each of the nine circles craves to get their hands on it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you talking about? What the fuck is wrong with me?” Alastor bared his teeth and responded.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t my offer sound enticing now?” cooed the red demon.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what makes you think I’d believe you? You have no proof.” you retorted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t need to lie, darling.” he leaned in, “Those who lie, twist life so that it looks tasty to the lazy, brilliant to the ignorant, and powerful to the weak… I’d much rather torment beings with the blind, </span>
  <em>
    <span>honest</span>
  </em>
  <span>, truth.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Don’t buy into it Cori, you idiot!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The essence of lying is in deception, not in words. Speak shallow syllables, I will never belong to anyone else ever again.” you spat out. You weren’t going down without a fight, no sir. There was something he wasn’t telling you.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stared at you, inspecting your eyes as if they were gateways into your soul.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You may not know it yet, but you’re lying to yourself. As long as you exist down here, you’ll always belong to someone. The shackles you wear are a lot heavier than you think. Accepting that now, will cause you significantly less stress down the line, don’t you agree?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop acting like you know me Mr. Alastor. And stop pretending you own me. Like I said. No one does, and no one will.” you continued to stand your ground. As far as you were concerned, you hadn’t any weak spots. After all, you hadn’t anything to live for. “And so what if you tell all of Hell about me. Odds are, someone’ll rip me to shreds themselves, so really, I have nothing to worry about. If anything, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>welcome </span>
  </em>
  <span>the idea.” You were getting tired of playing this little game. It was clear that you won already, right? A deep sigh of annoyance escaped you upon hearing the demon in front of you chuckle darkly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What exactly makes you think that? Who’s to say you won’t be branded, set on display in a gallery, or worse, forced to keep existing for the sake of others? Isn’t that wishful thinking?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You scowled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You didn’t want to admit it, but he had a point. If what he said really is true, what’s to stop him from broadcasting the information all across Hell? Then what? Would you truly be forced to continue existing? </span>
  <em>
    <span>FUCK! Fuck, fuck, fuck fuck, fuck! This dumb fucking deer is getting in my head! He has no proof! None! There is literally no reason for you to believe him? But what if it’s true? You have no doubt he’s capable of spreading word around. What are we going to do Cori?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The voices in your head kept arguing, back and force. It certainly didn’t help that you had a concussion. It would no doubt hinder your ability to make a proper decision, and that’s what scared you. What if you make a bad decision and regret it later. What if he holds true to his promise? Your head started to throb, and once one of your own eyes twitched in pain, Alastor immediately caught onto your inner turmoil. The one strength you had could be turned into your greatest weakness, and he was more than happy to exploit it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ohhhh~? What seems to be going on in that little head of yours? Perhaps you have decided to agree to my terms?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up! I’m way too tired to deal with your bullshit right now! You’re taking advantage of me right now, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t like that. Could you just leave me alone?” You didn’t even have the energy to bluff or keep fighting. The deep pain in your skull was getting worse and it drove you mad.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I can’t do that until you shake my hand, darling. Do remember what you’re getting out of this little deal…” He began pacing around you, “You’ll have my protection, my word </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> a means to an end! All I ask in return is your servitude. Now what say you? Is it a deal then?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Every fibre of your soul was telling you </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>. There was no way in Hell this was going to end well. If you </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to make a deal, you’d have to go over the conditions yourself. So that’s exactly what you channeled the rest of your energy into doing. You sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Fine. BUT!” his smile grew and his eyes shrank. “There’s a limit to what you’re allowed to ask of me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course, darling! I wouldn’t dream of asking too much from you~. Do tell me what you had in mind!” He was getting giddy with excitement. You simply squinted your eyes at him before replying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will not kill or hurt women, I will not kill or hurt anyone in this hotel, I will NOT continue living if you order me to, I will not allow branding of any kind, and finally, I will never, and I mean not EVER have sex with you or give you my services.” These were your demands. If he disagreed, you would leave the hotel right then and there. If not, you had to stay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alastor chuckled darkly. “You drive a hard bargain young lady… Though I must admit, you’re quite thorough.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>Not thorough enough it seems. But perhaps it’s due to the state you’re in, you pitiful creature. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“I agree to your demands. It’s a deal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Green light and intense wind enveloped the room, bandages, and other loose articles flew around with it. Alastor’s outstretched hand seemed dangerous and intimidating in hindsight. You closed your eyes, breathed in and held your breath. You lifted your broken hand, mentally preparing for the inevitable crushing pain. Your blood and dirt stained hair flowed in unison with each gust of wind, but your body was strong, unwavering. Your eyes glazed over. You were far too tired to think of the mistake you were making.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Upon touching his gloved hand with the palm of your own, you immediately regretted the decision, but it was too late now. There was no point in having regrets down here, and all you wanted to do now was rest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal.” was the only word that left your mouth, but with it, you sealed your fate.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hm, maybe not so friendly.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. A Warm Shower</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Crisis Time ;)<br/>A hopeless soul deals with the aftermath of her deal with the Radio Demon</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The only thing that decided to greet you this fine morning was a pounding headache and sore limbs. The same boring ceiling hung above, judging you with invisible eyes. You felt vulnerable despite being completely alone.</p><p>
  <em> What time is it. </em>
</p><p>Against your body’s wishes, you slumped forward, pain pulsed through your entire body. It was more of an annoyance than it was a cause for concern though… that’s just how your train of thought worked. Looking over at the grandfather clock that stood tall on the opposite wall, you found it was currently 6:18.</p><p>‘Fuck’, you muttered under your breath. <em> You woke up late, you stupid broad. </em> Slight panic involuntarily grew through you, providing with it a dose of adrenaline. Flinging your bandaged up legs over the side of the bed, you slowly rose to your feet, afraid of fainting from the concussion. What you needed was a shower, and a long one at that.</p><p>To your surprise, an outfit laid at the foot of your bed. A small red card rested on top of the clean clothes, mocking you. In perfect cursive was the name ‘Alastor” written on it. With a deep sigh, you picked up the note, turned it around and began to read:</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Good morning Darling, I hope you are feeling better! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> It has come to my attention that you don’t have any clothing! You really weren’t kidding when you said you just got here, hahaha! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Consider this, along with the other articles of clothing, a reminder of our little ‘deal’! I DO hope you haven’t forgotten about it, you were quite loopy to say the least! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I expect to see you at 9am sharp in my office, some pressing matters have come to my attention… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Consider this your first order, don’t be late! </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> . </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh right. The deal. Fuck. </em>
</p><p>Also, other articles of clothing? Were there more? Your eyes raced across the room until they landed on two sliding closet doors. You walked over and slid them open.</p><p>
  <em> God. Fucking. Dammit. </em>
</p><p>Inside, was a walk-in closet filled to the brim with dresses, work clothes, uniforms and only a few ‘comfortable’ looking clothes. There was one pressing issue, however.</p><p>They were all needlessly revealing.</p><p>Irritation boiled within you, festering like mold on a stale slice of bread. Quick to combat it was your growing sense of apathy. <em> You don’t have the energy to care, remember? Who cares how showy these clothes are, it’s not like anyone would stare at you anyway. </em>With newfound reassurance, you returned to the bed, grabbed the clothes and headed into the washroom. Placing the outfit next to the sink, you caught your reflection in the mirror.</p><p>You blinked once.</p><p>Twice.</p><p>Several times.</p><p>Your jaw lowered slightly, confusion lit up across your horrible looking face. Attempting speech resulted in barely comprehensible groans and exhales. All that managed to slip out was, “H-Huh?”</p><p>Gone was your previous skin colour for a light tint of blue took it’s place. Your eyes were dark, almost black, graced with a yellow iris and no pupil. Not to mention how massive they were despite your relaxed expression. What looked like a crack in your skin formed underneath the left eye, cutting through your cheek, down to the corner of your sharp jawline. It revealed a much darker shade of blue in its place, rivaled only in the vibrancy of the single horn that protruded from the top left of your skull. <em> A fucking horn too? </em> It was with tired, sore hands that you went to inspect the newest addition to your physique. <em> Why is there only one? </em> Unsurprisingly, you noted the long pointy ears that somehow went with your reformed facial structure. Oh wait, how silly! How could you have forgotten the whole hair situation? It was <em> completely </em> different. Instead of being how you remembered it, it was a murky cesspit of grey and red. It stretched down all the way to your lower back, completely caked with dirt and God knows what else. It was only then that you realized just how much blood was on you. Scabs of red littered your chest, arms, neck and looking down, your legs as well. And this was AFTER you wiped most of it off. The only place that was strangely absent of red was your face. The thing is, you tasted blood, and there were still a few streaks of the stuff along your hairline, chin and jaw. <em> Did someone wipe my face clean? Now that I think about it, it was kind of wet when I woke up the second time around… Eh, whatever. I need a shower. </em></p><p>Striping from the congealed rags that were your clothes, you stepped into the shower and turned on the water. You started with warm water, but after not feeling much comfort, you turned it up higher. And higher. And higher? Was there something wrong with the hot water in this place? It certainly didn’t <em> feel </em> hot.</p><p>What betrayed your feelings was the absurd amount of steam that surrounded you. The moisture made it difficult to breathe properly, so why didn’t you feel the heat? Was this just like a thing in Hell or something? You turned it down slightly, reminiscing about your time down here. Blood and soot, respectively, flowed down into the drain in alarming quantities. They mixed together creating a disgusting hue of brown.</p><p>Your left hand grabbed a bottle of shampoo. There was no doubt you would need at least three times the amount considering just how long and dirty your hair was. You stared at the wall in thought while your shredded hands gently worked the soap into your scalp, being mindful of your new ears and horn.</p><p>Now that you thought about it, the only time you felt anything even remotely related to temperature was when those flames erupted from your hands. Strangely enough, it didn’t radiate heat, if anything, it felt cool to the touch. The coldness was welcome, however. You remembered how the wispy sensation soothed the damaged skin, providing the area inflicted with a strange nostalgia.</p><p>Allowing the shampoo to stay in your hair for a little while longer, you reached over to the body wash and began cleaning yourself up. You were too lost in thought to notice how different your body had become.</p><p><em> Alastor. What could that bastard want with me today? What menial task is he going to punish me with? It surely can’t be anything good, all things considered. That son of a bitch is lucky I have a concussion. And also probably a hangover… I would’ve definitely noticed all the god damn loopholes he weaved into that deal. What a coward. To think he’d stoop so low as to bargain with me at my worst. </em> You started to get slightly worried. You should be livid right now, so why were you being so eerily calm? Could it be that you actually thought the deal was beneficial to you? <em> No, that’s impossible… I probably just don’t care enough right now. </em></p><p>After finishing with the body wash, you rinsed away the rest of the shampoo and grabbed hold of the conditioner. You practically globbed that shit onto both hands and started melding it into your damp hair. Back to your thoughts you went.</p><p><em> What about my part of the deal? Protection was one thing and no doubt a hard thing to get around… ‘A means to an end’ on the other hand… Not only did I not specify what exactly that meant, I didn’t specify a time which he could’ve given it to me. That means, he can choose to provide me with said means whenever he so likes. </em> You sighed. <em> Christ, he probably already has a way of erasing me, but because of a concussed, idiotic me, he’s not going to give it to me any time soon, now is he? This could be a problem. If I don’t erase myself soon, I could be stuck here for a long, long time. </em> Your thoughts subsided for a moment, all your actions ceased with them. A realization had struck you like a bolt of lightning.</p><p><em> What if… </em>The revelation left immediately, as you began laughing humorously at the absurd notion. It was impossible to find happiness down here. If you couldn’t find it up there, then how the hell did you expect to find it in Hell? The very thought was amusing to you.</p><p>After washing away the globs of conditioner and finishing up in the shower, you turned the water off and stepped out, knapping the red towel that draped over a small side table. You yawned and dried yourself off. The curves of your body were strangely unfamiliar to you. As your hands lapped around with the towel, you noticed how your hips were slightly wider, your bust was larger and legs were longer. The skin itself was free of blemishes, some would argue that it was <em> flawless </em>, aside from the occasional injury here and there. Now that it was free of blood and other shit, the natural light blue colour came forth and was easy on the eyes, alluring even. You needed to see it all…</p><p>Stepping in front of the mirror you finally noticed just how different you looked, not only structurally, but cleaned up as well. Turns out, your hair wasn’t actually grey and red. It was pure white. As white as the snow you died in. Frankly speaking, the sight was breathtaking. And for that reason, you were <em> pissed. </em> Words couldn’t describe the pure rage you felt upon seeing the “perfect” body you were given. You didn’t want needless attention, you didn’t want to turn heads, you didn’t want to be an object of sexual desire. Not again at least. You had enough of that treatment when you were alive, and there was without a single doubt in your mind that that was exactly what you were going to get in Hell of all places.</p><p>Inner turmoil only grew in your throbbing head at a relentless pace. <em> Why me, why, why, WHY, WHY, WHY!  </em></p><p>You couldn’t stop the onslaught of tears that streamed down your face. It took every single ounce of self control not to punch the mirror with your shattered hands, bash your head against the sink, or scream out in rage and agony.</p><p>The more you looked at your reflection, the harder you bit down on your blue lower lip, drawing blood in the process due to your exceedingly sharp canines. Despite all mental restraint, you couldn’t keep your hands from gripping the counter top with crushing force sending sparks of pain through your wrists and arms.</p><p>It was at this moment, everything began to hit you all at once.</p><p>You were in Hell.</p><p>You made a deal with someone you shouldn’t have even looked at.</p><p>You had no means of erasal.</p><p>Your body was far too sexually appealing to ‘blend in’.</p><p>You were never going to be free. Never. And worst of all.</p><p>You were alone.</p><p>Always alone. Your thoughts had begun to develop multiple personalities, voices per se, just so you wouldn’t lose whatever you had left of your sanity. The only person in this entire world who you could have possibly been comforted by was Ivon. And there was no doubt in your mind that he was up in heaven with dad. To literal Hell with your mother.</p><p>Gradually, you began to crumble from the inside out. The first to give out were your knees, buckling under the weight of your trembling upper body. Your sore right hand flew over your mouth as the sobbing escalated into fits of wailing. Your other hand clenched the fabric of the towel, searching for some sort of stability.</p><p>None was given. No one was going to help you.</p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>An empty shell swayed throughout the dimly lit halls. It adorned the dead, lifeless eyes of a week long dead fish ready to be torn apart and eaten by scavengers. Any other creature could easily make the mistake of thinking this morsel was in fact dead due to its exceedingly quiet, unnoticeable breaths. For all they knew, breathing was nothing more than a chore, an obligation which it did not want to take part in. The corpse’s light steps were muffled by the soft carpet, almost as completely silent as a phantom lurking through dank halls.</p><p>She was truly dead.</p><p>The time was 8:45am when Cori had stepped out of her room. She carried with her an aura of nothingness that clung to her back like a leech draining the life from her. Not a single thought ran through her head since her little episode in the bathroom. She was, in every respect, a cold machine with no ounce of humanity left inside of her.</p><p>But that wasn’t a good reason to be late to a meeting though, now was it?</p><p>Step after step accompanied with it an increasing nothingness. Nothing mattered anymore. Not even <em> booze </em>. Trudging over to the bar felt like quite the task, she practically collapsed onto the nearest stool. Her perfectly white hair flowed down directly beside her, slightly obscuring her line of sight.</p><p>10 more minutes till the meeting.</p><p>Cori’s head slammed down onto the bartop awaking a passed out bartender. Husk was on the other side of the bar, lying on the ground, away from her view. The loud thud startled him slightly, causing him to groan in annoyance.</p><p>“The fuck was that?” he grumbled. There was silence. The source of the sound did not care to make themselves known. This irked him. Begrudgingly, he rose to his feet, squinting at the light that assaulted his sensitive eyes. “God fucking dammit, what time is-” the sight of an angelically pure white head of hair was almost too much to look at. Never before had he seen something so untainted in hell.</p><p>“Uh… Hey..?” Husk wore a confused look. <em> Who the fuck is this and why are they at my bar so early in the fuckin morning? </em>No response was given. “What’re you fuckin deaf or somethin’?” His curiosity got the best of him. With an empty beer bottle, he went to poke the stranger’s head, “Wake up dammit-” one nudge. Nothing. Two nudges. More nothing. Frustrated, he nudged even harder, “What the Christ? Get up will you?” That’s all he needed to do to send her over the edge.</p><p>“<em> Stop </em> .” Her voice was dark, cold and empty. It lacked any sort of vibrancy and more importantly, life. He’d heard it many times before, but it was never quite like <em> this </em>. He ceased his poking, and just stared. </p><p>“So uh… Who the fuck are you?” After a few seconds, the stranger lifted her head, revealing a light blue skin tone, big dark eyes with yellow irises and a large crack underneath her left eye. It was the same woman that collapsed yesterday. And she was <em> gorgeous </em>. Not that he’d ever admit it though. Last he saw, she was covered head to toe in blood, caked in grime, dirt and other shit. This wasn’t the same person. All he did was stare for a moment with squinted eyes and a confused expression, much to Cori’s dismay. Each second that went by spiraled her further and further into the abyss of her own mind.</p><p>“Drink?” She asked meekly. Husk snapped out of his little trance and cleared his throat.</p><p>“Whudduya want?” His voice was gruff and rugged.</p><p>Cori looked away, resting her head in her arms.</p><p>“I don’t care”</p><p>That single string of words was all he needed to hear to know something was wrong. Thank God he didn’t care enough to ask. Without a word, he grabbed his strongest glass of whiskey and set it down beside her. There was a wind of understanding that swayed between the two broken souls, and with it, came silence. A much appreciated one at that. </p><p>It was exhausting to think. It was exhausting to exist. She just wanted to bask in the silence if only for a little while longer.</p><p>The supposedly cool bottle of alcohol rested inside of her pale, injured grip. Closing her eyes, she took a sniff of the elixir, feeling the hot particles of air permeate her lungs. Each rise and fall of her chest became easier and easier to tolerate with each passing second. Soft blue lips wrapped around the mouth of the amber bottle. The bottle rose a few degrees, earning the lips a sting of delight that was so often sought after. A purple tongue caught every drop of liquid, eagerly pushing it past the throat. Gulp after gulp was muted ecstasy, simply a feeling to chase after. One she would never reach hold of. Didn’t mean she wasn’t going to try though. </p><p>“Where’s the deer’s office?” She cut through the silence with none other than her own breath. Husk quirked a brow.</p><p>“The asshole’s office is on floor 3, right next to the elevator.” He began downing yet another drink, seemingly disinterested.</p><p>Without a word, she got up, bottle in hand and headed to floor three of this god forsaken ‘hotel’.</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>The door was made of mahogany, immaculate carvings gracing its edges. Bottle in hand, Cori offered three quick knocks before pressing it against her lips, sucking down more liquid.</p><p>“You may enter!” A muffled, but notably cheery sounding voice rang out from behind the door.</p><p>Without a single moment's hesitation, she swung the door open to reveal an extremely pleasing to look at, 20’s style room. She would’ve been impressed had she been living.</p><p>“Ah! Darling! There you are!” <em> Loud as always it seems… </em> Her soul was broken, but that didn’t mean her ears were too. She didn’t respond. Her muscles contracted and relaxed, body shifting towards her sure to be ‘designated chair’, alcohol swishing around with her every move. “My my, you clean up quite well, don’t you darling? And I see you’re wearing the clothing I supplied you with… How splendid” The same ol’ smile wrapped around his face. The one that shouts ‘I’m better than you’ all the time. But this time, it was a little different. He was almost taken aback by her appearance. It wasn’t explicitly obvious before, what with all that blood and soot caked onto her, but this little demoness was a succubus… Those too were rare among sinners.</p><p>Alastor rose from his chair to most likely invade Cori’s personal space. Still no response, as she was far too busy drowning in the bitter liquid. <em> Silent as always, it seems </em>.</p><p>Cori sat down at the chair, unamusement plaguing her expression. She completely ignored his previous comments/question.</p><p>“What do you want?” She deadpanned, only now choosing to look at his stupid fucking face.</p><p>The chair was positioned right in front of the desk, so Alastor circled around to it, towering a good 3ft over her. Cori did not so much as <em> blink </em>. His downward cast gaze was enough to send shivers down the most feared demons of Hell itself, yet all it did was slightly peeve the one in front of him. As expected from a hopeless delicacy.</p><p>“You see dear,” He began, “it seems you haven’t told me your name yet… And that simply won’t do…” He lowered an octave, “We can’t just have a nameless <em> employee </em> parading around this fine establishment, now can we?”</p><p>Cori shot him a look.</p><p>“Wha-aa? The fuck are you on about? Is this all you needed me for? Good fucking Christ, I’m out of here.” With that, she got up from the chair, not even sparing him a second glance as she headed for the door. “You’re a fucking idiot. My name is-” Before she could finish, she was thrown back into the chair, and restrained with weird black tentacles.</p><p> </p><p>.</p><p> </p><p>Your wrists were fastened to the arm of the chair, legs bound in place. The force of the shock caused you to cough slightly, but more or less you were just completely done with his shit. Before you could get a word out, Alastor made sure to get nice and close to you, holding each arm against the chair, around your head, trapping you there and forcing you to make eye contact with him. You could hear the wood cracking with the force of his own grip.</p><p>“I don’t take well to being disrespected, <em> dear </em> . <em> Especially </em>, by the likes of you.” The room darkened, “Know your place.” His gaze was intense, sadistic and psychotic. Certainly something you wouldn’t like being on the receiving end of. Thick static occupied the air, shadows danced along the papered walls.</p><p>It seems he’d already forgotten how much you did <em> not </em> care.</p><p>“You done yet? I wanna go drink some more with Husk until Charlie gets up.” A dead fish's eyes couldn’t rival the likes of your own. Alastor chuckled deeply at the realization.</p><p>“It seems you don’t quite understand the position you’re in dear… You see, I <em>don’t care</em> that your soul is in tatters. I <em>don’t care</em> if you want to go drinking with Husker at such an hour. And I <b>certainly</b> <em>don’t care</em> about what you want.” He leaned away from your face, seemingly in thought for a moment. “Rule number 1!-”</p><p>“Wa-wa-wa-wa-wait-I’m gonna go ahead and stop you right there-I don’t remember agreeing to a set of rules. That wasn’t part of the deal, Shithead!” you snapped. His smile was wicked.</p><p>“Perhaps rule number one should be ‘No interrupting me when I’m speaking!’” He laughed heartily like the crazy fuck he was. “No, no, how about you try thinking about things rationally my dear… how on earth do you expect me to manage your fiery attitude without establishing some rules first! I pride myself on my management skills, you see, and these rules are perfectly necessary to ensure your…” he waved his hand around in thought, “<em> cooperation. </em>” his previous malicious smile returned immediately.</p><p>“For fuck’s sake, do whatever you want, I don’t care anymore.” You turned your head away, not bothering to make eye-contact.</p><p>“Splendid!” he cleared his throat.</p><p>“Rule #1: From now on, you may only refer to me as Alastor!” before you could get a word in, he continued, “Rule #2: Whenever I ask you a question, you are to respond with nothing but the truth, immediately.” You sighed in annoyance. “Rule #3: <em> Never </em>lie to me. Trust me darling, I’ll know…”</p><p>“Oh, blow it out your ass!” you yelled. Probably a bad idea in hindsight.</p><p>In a single moment, Alastor’s shadow manifested. Sparks of pain rushed throughout your left cheek after said apparition’s sharp hand slapped you. Hard. </p><p>“What was that dear? It seems you cut out for a moment…” His piercing gaze was intimidating and <em> reeked </em> of superiority.</p><p>“I know you heard me you deer-headed prick…” your retort only earned you another sting on the cheek.</p><p>“Mhmmm~” he cooed, “We’ll see how long it takes before I break that attitude of yours, yes? Hahahaha!”</p><p>
  <em> This pain is nothing, asshole. I will remain a thorn in your side until the day I’m erased, so help me God. You messed with the wrong fucking bitch. </em>
</p><p>“Rule #4!” you were broken from your thoughts, “While in my presence, you may not use such vulgar language… it’s unbecoming of a lady such as yourself~” He wore a sly smile.</p><p>“Esti de tabarnak! T’es un connard!” You shouted in your second language. You wouldn’t let this bastard take that too. However, when all he did was lower himself to your level with a dark look in his eye, you knew something was off. His breath fanned your face and he chuckled deeply before staring into the heart of your very soul.</p><p>“Règle #5: Je ne permettrai <em> aucun </em>manque de respect. Est-ce clair, ma chère?”</p><p>You froze in place for the first time since your death. If you were able to pinch the bridge of your nose, you would. <em> Of course this fucker speaks french! Why the hell wouldn’t he. This is getting far too out of hand. </em></p><p>“Fine! Fine! You win, okay? And, yes, you’ve made things explicitly clear, thank you <em> Alastor </em> .” Maybe stroking his ego is the way around this. “Now would you let me go? I’ve got shi-... stuff to talk about with Charlie. I would <em> greatly </em> appreciate it if you allowed me to do so.”</p><p>“Ah-Ah-Ah~~! You must’ve forgotten why you're here darling!” You sighed deeply once again. “Tell me your name first, and <em> then </em> we can negotiate.” A thin sheet of disgust laid atop your face. <em> Good fucking Christ </em>.</p><p>You inhaled and prepared to speak, “It’s-” </p><p>
  <em> Knock Knock Knock </em>
</p><p>Behind the door a female’s voice rang out, “Um, Al? Is our newest patron in there with you? Husk told me she was looking for you, and I needed to talk with her for a bit…”</p><p>It seemed fate didn’t allow you to introduce yourself lately.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>school can suck my pp</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Proposition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Undermined once again. Spicy stuff and some decent progression 030</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It seemed that no matter what you did, how empty you felt, something would rip you back into existence, forced to live once more through countless painful experiences. Every cell in your body couldn’t seem to settle down. The concept of rest seemed so far away that it began to disappear beyond the mind’s horizon. Even while unconscious, you couldn’t seem to catch a break, and it has always been this way. Your anxiety, depression, emptiness, worry was all so exhausting, and the only thing you needed now was to feel nothing, experience nothing, become nothing. This was your nirvana, your perfect image of tranquility, the ideal, so to speak. Part of you believed that this current illusion of existence was your personal Hell, concocted by only the most sadistic, evil entities. Or maybe it was just a cesspool of shitty people that were all talented enough to get on your nerves, even while at your worst.</p>
<p>“Okay then! A few questions to get ourselves acquainted!” The bubbly princess’s pitch was far too high for your delicate ears. “Full name, date of birth, date of death and cause of death!” Her smile was wide, carefree and excited, the polar opposite of yourself. You simply wore a neutral expression, afraid of straining your face with a plastered on smile. At least your face muscles could relax a bit in hell.</p>
<p>But-! It was finally time to introduce yourself. Finally-you would get to say your name. The two syllables that ached to be spoken after far too long. The only person in Hell that knew your name was Cyps, but he was also the reason you couldn’t leave just yet. After a deep sigh and a noticeably larger inhale, you were ready to say it.</p>
<p>BANG!</p>
<p>God fucking dammit.</p>
<p>“CHARLIE!” Vaggie quite literally burst through the door and with her, accompanied an annoyed and angry Angel Dust. In one hand she carried a small baggie with white powder and in the other hand, she dragged along Angel by the bowtie. On the way in, the spider smashed his forehead on the doorframe, a prominent thud resounding through the fairly large room.</p>
<p>“OW, BITCH! FUCKIN’ LET GO WILL YA?!” Angel pressed one of his many hands against the bruise in an attempt to soothe it. “This face ain’t cheap, dumb broad!”</p>
<p>“Va-Vaggie, what happened? What are you doing here? I was just about to start the meeting…” Charlie chimed up, climbing out of her seat and leaning forward. Your ears began to twitch at the harsh sounds bouncing from wall to wall and now that your hands were free, you could finally massage your temples correctly. Alastor simply sat there in front of you at his desk, watching the scene unfold before his very observant eyes. He was experiencing pure delight, that’s for damn sure.</p>
<p>“‘What happened?’?! What do you THINK happened!?” She shoved Angel forward and threw the baggie into Charlie’s hands. “Angel’s been doing drugs off the furniture again! When are you going to realize that he’s a lost cause! He can’t be redeemed Charlie, nor does he want to be redeemed!” Vaggie was quite literally fuming, and Charlie seemed fairly hurt by her harsh words. </p>
<p>“Don’t you have any decency bitch?! Leave me the fuck alone, I can’t just stop cold turkey! That ain’t how it works!” Angel retorted. </p>
<p>“And how would <em>you</em> know?!” She stared daggers into his soul. She was starting to get on your nerves. </p>
<p>“Vaggie, Vaggie calm down!” Charlie ran over to the fallen Angel Dust, “there’s no need to get so upset, he’s bound to make mistakes! Are you alright Angel?” </p>
<p>He was rightfully pissed. You would be too if you had Vaggie to deal with. Abruptly, Angel pulled away, disgust peppered across his face. </p>
<p>“Don’t touch me! I’ve had enough of both of yer bullshit! The free room ain’t worth this god damn treatment lemme tell ya! I’m fuckin’ outta here!” He pushed past Vaggie and stormed out of the room. Charlie was quick to follow. </p>
<p>“Wait, Angel, don’t go! Just wait a second, please!” She grabbed Vaggie by the arm and before you knew it, both of them were gone. So now, once again, you were left alone with the crazed, smug, asshole. </p>
<p>Fan-fucking-tastic.</p>
<p>“Well wasn’t that quite the spectacle! Ah-hahahaha!” You exhaled loudly and crossed your left leg over the other. Your arms were crossed tightly, bottle in hand and both eyes were knitted shut.</p>
<p>“Mhmm.” you hummed, deciding to stay quiet until Charlie came back.</p>
<p>“Now then…” Alastor’s demeanour changed slightly. “Why don’t you tell me what brought you here in the first place-the hotel I mean?” The question took you by surprise. Why was he asking you this now of all times? You looked at him suspiciously for a few moments before responding.</p>
<p>“Why do you ask?”</p>
<p>“Ah-ah-ah~ I believe you’re already forgetting rule number 2, dearest~. You’re to tell me immediately.”</p>
<p>“And what if I don’t? What exactly is preventing me from breaking some of those rules? You’ve only got one thing to use against me and that’s your last resort. Just face it. You can’t control me, toton.”</p>
<p>Alastor chuckled deeply. You poor, poor fool…</p>
<p>“Is that right? Well I suppose taking away your drinking privileges shouldn’t be an issue then? Or perhaps a new wardrobe would be appropriate? The list goes on, darling~” the air grew slightly thicker around him as if the tension was manifesting itself into a physical form. “Don’t you think you’re deluding yourself with false hope, dear?”</p>
<p>Out of nowhere, a familiar bottle of whiskey materialized onto his desk though his eyes never left your own. Quickly, you checked your hands and the bottle was gone.</p>
<p>“Consider this a punishment for breaking not only rule #1, but rule #4! I can’t very well say you’re off to a great start, dear…” he eyed you, knowingly and most of all, smugly. How dare he take away the one thing that mattered! The single thing that brought you any amount of comfort. The nerve of this guy was astounding.</p>
<p>“Good Christ you’re insufferable.” you mutter underneath your breath.</p>
<p>Suddenly, a pair of hands gripped onto your shoulders causing your entire body to convulse, stiffen and flinch all at once. Alastor’s voice whispered lowly into your sensitive ear. “What was that darling? You wouldn’t happen to have broken another rule, have you?”</p>
<p>Never before have you felt so urged to tell someone off. The seething rage you felt at the audacity of this prick was unmatched. The feeling of his lanky hands gripping carelessly onto your stiff shoulders was nothing short of disgusting. Absolutely rancid, vile and scummy. </p>
<p>Memories of countless men having their way with you rushed into your mind. A lump began to form in your throat at the bitterness. Your irises shrank and your stare pulsed with undeniable animosity.</p>
<p>“<em><strong>Don’t touch me.</strong></em>”</p>
<p>Both of your fists clenched and trembled with anger. The promise of tears pricked at your eyes, but you held them back. Rationality and raw emotion fought an endless war within your mind, but after a few moments of catching your breath, the rationality won. The fury you felt gradually waned down into a sliver of what it once was and your body relaxed ever so slightly. Your left and right hands went to remove the gloved ones that laid on your shoulders, but before you could touch them, they vanished.</p>
<p>“I take it you finally understand the position you’re in?” Alastor asked, back in his original seat.</p>
<p>“I believe I do.” The look you offered was serious and frankly, somewhat intimidating. It certainly couldn’t shake the Radio Demon, but it could definitely rival his own stare. Before he could get a word in, you continued. “I think it’s fair that I establish some of my own rules as well.”</p>
<p>This caused him to quirk a brow in amusement. You truly were an entertaining specimen…</p>
<p>“Rule #1: No touching me without my consent. Rule #2: You must leave me alone when I demand it. Rule #3: You may never, and I mean EVER enter my room without my permission. Rule #4: When I’m working, you are not to disturb me. And rule #5:...” you thought for a moment, “No disturbing me while I’m alone in my room either.</p>
<p>Sound fair?” Of course, he’s going to say no to most of those, now isn’t he? Alastor chuckled deeply, his piss stained smile stretched from ear to ear.</p>
<p>“Darling, darling!” He removed his monocle and began to wipe it clean with a red handkerchief. “How do you expect us to be work partners if you put in place these ridiculous rules! That’s simply preposterous!” He laughed loudly, apparently putting his whole back into it as well. You replied with a stern voice.</p>
<p>“I believe it’d be in the best interest of this establishment. Don’t you?” At this, he ceased his fit of laughter and raised a brow. “In my professional opinion, you are a detriment to this project.” This took him by surprise. <em>How bold…</em> “I sincerely believe that if you adhere to the rules I’ve established, general productivity in my respective departments would increase drastically. I mean no disrespect Alastor, sir, when I say this either. It is simply a fact that you should take into consideration with regards to the Princess of Hell’s personal project.” Your stare was blank and emotionless the entire time, refusing to show off any unnecessary feelings. It wasn’t your best performance but it was certainly miles better than playing a role while freshly concussed.</p>
<p>Alastor was mildly surprised to say the least, and that wasn’t an easy feat for someone to accomplish, let alone on their second day in Hell. Too bad this succubus got the wrong idea.</p>
<p>“As much as I admire your way around words, I’m inclined to disagree.” He put his monocle back on and smirked.</p>
<p>“What makes you think I care about the success of this project? I have no interest in this absurd little idea, but what surprises me most is how you’ve come to that conclusion… Aren’t you acutely aware of that fact, or are you just so painfully naïve?” He questioned.</p>
<p>Perfect. Keep picking up what I’m laying down, you ignorant asshole.</p>
<p>Your serious demeanour hadn’t changed. “So you want to see this project fail?” Alastor squinted his eyes in suspicion before obnoxiously answering the question.</p>
<p>“You poor, naïve little soul… To believe in such a thing would be insanity. Hell is a punishment for our wrongdoings in the land of the living. It is impossible to change what has been done.</p>
<p>To strive for redemption is a fruitless endeavour, already tainted by our human desire to escape such a wretched place.</p>
<p>There is no leaving.”</p>
<p>Wonderful.</p>
<p>Your hands shot up in a display of surrender.</p>
<p>“A thousand apologies my good man! It seems I’ve forgotten that you have it all figured out! How foolish of me!” This was your master plan. Demean the crap out of him and get on his nerves. What else could you have possibly come up with?</p>
<p>The sarcasm was practically oozing off of you with each spoken word. You even went so far as to turn to theatrics. Your right hand flew to your chest and your eyes knitted shut. “To question or, heaven forbid, oppose your point of view is simply preposterous! As a form of repentance, I shall see to it that every moment of every day will be spent by your side as an extension of your being!” His very soul was pierced by the intimidating yellow of your assertive glare. You were threatening him. Simply giving him a taste of his own medicine.</p>
<p>“I fail to see how your antics are a threat to me, darling.” He deadpanned, unamused by your little ‘show’. Lucky for you, that’s just what you wanted.</p>
<p>“Is that so, Alastor sir? Then perhaps I must come up with an alternate form of repentance~” the air in the room became noticeably thicker with tension and lust as you honed in on your target. Of course, it was all a ruse to annoy the obviously touch-averse deer, but that didn’t mean you were about to half ass it.</p>
<p>Allowing your right hand to take the lead, you slowly began crawling atop his pristine mahogany desk with a lustful gaze.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>Being the domineering man he was, Alastor combatted the young succubus’s gaze with his own. He certainly didn’t like what she was up to.</p>
<p>“What do you think you’re doing, young lady?” he said in an assertive tone. His aura became darker in an attempt to scare the demoness away. Only she barely dignified him with a response. The crashing of stationary could be heard on the ground, and Cori swung her legs over the front of the table, parted slightly to accommodate Alastor’s seat. She was now sitting right in front of him on the very edge of his desk, with nothing but a tight skirt, red blouse and thigh high pantyhose.</p>
<p>Her smug stare was hard to look away from. It brought with it a sense of entrapment, allure. He couldn’t seem to bring his eyes elsewhere, nor did he want to. Perhaps this gift came with being a succubus, but he did not like it one bit.</p>
<p>“Whuddu’ya say we… Have some fun, my <em>deer</em>~.” The words flowed out of her mouth with a lustful grace unlike any other. So much so, that the thought of her implications actually crossed Alastor’s mind. Red flag.</p>
<p>Without another moment’s hesitation, Alastor stood straight up and cleared his throat, squeezing his eyes shut all the while. He was getting irritated. “This behaviour of yours is mighty unprofessional, hardly suited for the workplace young lady.” he brought his cane upwards and towards the woman’s chest in an attempt to push her away from him, only for the mic stand to be quickly grabbed and yanked towards the lady in question. This took him by surprise and he stumbled forward, straight on top of her.</p>
<p>Cori took this opportunity to do the most damage to the poor man’s psyche she could do. With him conveniently placed in between her legs, she wrapped them around his lower torso, and her arms around his neck.</p>
<p>“How bold of you, Mr. Alastor~ you certainly know your way around women~.” she said in a seductively sweet tone.</p>
<p>Needless to say, Alastor was absolutely livid. Every part of him demanded that her spine be ripped out on the spot for the sheer nerve and he would’ve if it hadn’t been for the entrance of not only Charlie, but Vaggie and Angel as well.</p>
<p>None of the trio muttered a single word. Even Angel was speechless for a moment. Naturally, he would try to get in on the “fun”.</p>
<p>“Well if it isn’t Smiles and some other broad~. I didn’t take ya for an exhibitionist~ you must be full of surprises, huh?” he cooed, staring on with a seductive glare. The other two demons were dazed, but after a moment of taking in the sight, Charlie blushed a deep crimson and took her friends by the arm, forcefully yanking them out of the room.</p>
<p>“S-sorry to burst in, you two! We’ll be carrying on now-!” Before Angel could cry out in protest, Charlie slammed the door, once again leaving the two alone.</p>
<p>If he wasn’t pissed then, he was most certainly pissed now.</p>
<p>Not a word was exchanged between the two before Cori understood the magnitude of her actions.</p>
<p>Alastor's limbs gradually elongated, snapping into thinner fragments of their previous selves. His eyes had long since transformed into bright red radio dials, whose light seemed to burn holes into the lady’s flesh. Black blood gradually seeped from his tightly clenched maw and his charcoal antlers cracked painfully outwards above her. The mood of the room was pure contempt, red light was being dominated by a thick, muted cloud that seemed to vibrate the very air itself. Drops of the wendigo’s blood dotted the light blue skin in a display of chaos and ownership, his long, spindly fingers indented the soft mahogany desk.</p>
<p>The whole display was objectively terrifying.</p>
<p>But not even that could even remotely faze the current victim of such an assault. In fact, she felt it absolutely necessary to smile condescendingly at his pathetic attempt to shake her.</p>
<p>“Did this ‘little darling’ strike a nerve?” If all went well, she would die a second time, any moment now.</p>
<p>This woman was far too smart for her own good. With seemingly little effort, she managed to get exactly what she wanted from the big bad Radio Demon. He was moments away from tearing out her heart, and eating it in front of her. So he’d have to settle for something a little <em>less</em> severe.</p>
<p>In one painfully slow motion, Alastor’s sharp claws pierced through the supple skin of the succubus’ thigh. Beads of red began pooling at their tips. He intently studied her expression as he added more and more pressure, however, the bittersweet scent of her beautifully immaculate blood was getting harder and harder to resist. Perhaps a single bite wouldn’t hurt…</p>
<p>Cori’s breathing hitched once she felt the cold daggers pierce her thigh. The sound of her flesh being slowly pulled off of her was even more horrifying than the pain that followed. It was as if each cell was crying out in agony before completely tearing apart with a series of blood curdling pops. Despite all that, she refused to scream, instead choosing to dig her own sharp nails into the higher demon’s back, effortlessly tearing through the soft fabric and into his toughened skin. She felt obligated to go down with a fight, especially if it meant harming this pretentious bastard.</p>
<p>The entire scene was grounded in a primal reality, void of any and all humanity. Both creatures gradually lost sense of self as emotions of violence, contempt and animosity vibrated through the thick air.</p>
<p>Alastor brought the small morsel of flesh to his drooling maw and devoured it in front of her.</p>
<p>It was to die for.</p>
<p>The meat was simply exquisite. Perfectly tender and soft with no ounce of bubbly fat to get in the way of its impeccable leaness. Every crunch brought with it hundreds of bursts of flavour that danced across his tongue with undeniable grace. Balanced, were the sensations of sweet to savoury, salty and bitter. It was as if this vixen’s carefully crafted body was tailored just to suit his own refined palette. The undeniable pleasure he felt would perhaps pave the way for a different <em>kind</em> of pleasure.</p>
<p>Shoving her disgust aside for a moment, Cori took this opportunity to forcefully kick off the demon on top of her, unintentionally leaving large gashes where her claws used to be. Alastor hit the wall behind him with a loud thud, some books leaping off their place off the shelf beside him.</p>
<p>He barely even noticed, too caught up in his own reverie to pay mind to the outside world.</p>
<p>Cori wasn’t finished quite yet, though. The urge to inflict harm spread through her like a wildfire. She was so fed up with everything and far past her breaking point.</p>
<p>Kicking off her shoes, she lunged forward onto the horrifying wendigo from the long since ruined desk. She latched onto him, hammering him against the wall once more. This time he awoke, with every intention of killing her. He no longer cared about their little deal, he just wanted her gone. But not before playing with his food a little, of course.</p>
<p>Her canines and nails grew respectively and she was more than happy to give into instinct. She dug into his boney shoulders until she could feel the very cartilage that was keeping them together. There was a crazed look in her eye as she moved to bite down onto the left side of his lean neck muscles, squeezing down as hard as she could, refusing to let go. Alastor simply chuckled darkly and effortlessly tore the pathetic demon off of him, along with his small slab of flesh between her teeth. </p>
<p>Yet another loud thud resounded from her back off the desk, effectively winding her.</p>
<p>A few seconds passed of the demoness catching her breath and the wendigo snapping its shoulders back into place. After a moment to her thoughts, she took sight of the bottle of alcohol beside her and let her body relax, slowly reaching towards it and allowing her grip to reclaim the confiscated elixir. </p>
<p>
  <em>What better way to go than with a cheap swig of booze?</em>
</p>
<p>She was tired. So insanely tired. If what it took to go to sleep was for a psychotic deer man to eat her alive then so be it. At least then she’d stop feeling the relentless pain of existing.</p>
<p>Her aching limbs fell limp beside the desk and she rested her back onto it completely. With one final, long gulp of her drink, she took a deep breath and gave up, allowing her eyes to fall closed and a genuine, soft smile to grace her bloody lips.</p>
<p>Once Alastor was done reassembling his body, his glowing empty eyes returned to the delicious prey before him. His manic self stepped closer and closer to it before stopping dead in his tracks.</p>
<p>A strong feeling in his chest immediately snapped him out of the daze he was in. </p>
<p>She was smiling. Why was she smiling? </p>
<p>Never before had he seen an expression so genuine and peaceful. It was as if he was witnessing something the likes of which Hell has never seen. His cold heart ached painfully at the sight. This was a woman who just wanted to rest. She would be willing to do anything to get there; even provoke him of all people. Was it pity? Was it compassion? Was it guilt? What was this feeling? Whatever it was, it hurt. For the first time in a long time, his appetite was gone and it was proving difficult to smile.</p>
<p>He didn’t know what to do. He felt as if ending the creature in front of him was the wrong move. Admittedly, it was purely a form of selfish desires but why did he change his mind so suddenly?</p>
<p>This was infuriating.</p>
<p>.</p>
<p>The taste of cheap booze and sour blood dominated your tongue. In a few seconds, you would have fulfilled your goal and been snuffed out from this life once and for all. You hadn’t even noticed the peaceful smile that seemed to envelop you like a shroud of angelic light. Your eyes were softly shut and you removed the bottle from your lips, setting it down beside you as you leaned against the tattered desk.</p>
<p>It was finally time to rest.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Been a phat minute, life's been cuking me hard. Haven't forgotten about my lil gal tho (o  )3(o  )</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Taking Charge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>big dick energy from our lovely protagonist</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The seconds seemed to turn to minutes and the minutes, hours. Nothing was happening. Had you fallen asleep? Had you finally been erased?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Get up.” a harsh tone flooded your ears and invaded the sweet reverie you had been put in. Your dark eyes peeled open, reluctant to accept the light that bled into them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” your face once again soured, and so did your voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Things have gotten rather messy, wouldn’t you agree?” The man standing tall in front of you was back to normal. His limbs were reattached and composure reassumed. “Please, forgive me for taking things a touch too far, hm?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You were dumbfounded. Had your plan not worked? It was going so well though, for Christ’s sake, you had him! You were so close. So damn close, it wasn’t fair. Yet another concoction of sadness and rage boiled within you, but this time you couldn’t tame it. Without realizing, the room had gotten colder. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Much</span>
  </em>
  <span> colder. Your hands were trembling in your lap and your insides were tearing themselves apart. Through eyes filled with raw emotion, you could see Alastor’s yellow smile and red eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wha... What are you doing? Why didn’t you finish me off? Why am I not gone yet? Who the Hell do you think you are?” The tears crept up and you couldn’t seem to hold them back. And once they emerged from the surface, they didn’t stop. Alleged cold and hot tears ran down your pale complexion. You hadn’t even noticed them turn to ice upon hitting the hardwood floor, but heaven knows </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> did.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Darling, I’m going to need you to settle down. I understand you may be a bit frazzled, but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t understand a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thing</span>
  </em>
  <span>! And to claim you do is just fucking absurd! Christ almighty, why can’t I just die already!? HAVE SOME FUCKING DECENCY WILL YOU?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room was drowning in silence and perfectly uncomfortable thanks to the lowering temperature, only felt by Alastor. Though once again, he was only getting irritated at your pathetic display. Of course he was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If you won’t kill me then could you maybe just LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE? Or do you still want me to stroke that horrifically large ego of yours? If so, by alllllll~ means sir, you win! I- a pathetic, lower life form- declare my surrender. Congratulations, you’ve done it again. Oh, how proud you must be to have bested me at my lowest possible point! Now if you’d be so kind, I have fucking places to be, you hear that? I don’t care for your stupid little games anymore, nor will I ever again. Your childlike tendencies are fucking exhausting and I’ve only been here, what? For like two days? Get off your high horse already. You’re only up there so that people you don’t know will revere you, respect you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>fear you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But then what? You live your life in perfect solitude, deprived of basic social relationships necessary to live? Sounds pretty fucking pathetic to me, don’t you think? And don’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>try</span>
  </em>
  <span> to deny it. I can see right through you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>asshole</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And nothing-NOTHING will convince me otherwise.</span>
</p>
<p><span>I’ve met </span><em><span>hundreds</span></em><span> of your kind, too high off their own fumes to give a damn about others, so deluded in the same shit they spew that they feel like they’re on top of it all. But why don’t you tell me, </span><em><span>Alastor</span></em><span>. Are you really as happy as that shit eating grin or is your life</span> <b><em>just as shitty as mine</em></b><span>?”</span><span><br/></span></p>
<p>
  <span>At this point, you were out of breath. In a haze, you had gotten up and confronted the demon, one finger to his chest and the other hand clenched in on itself, nearly drawing more purple blood. The adrenaline was receding and you were done looking at him. You didn’t even wait for a response. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> the answer already, and you were done here. Without another word, you turned around and walked to the door.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> he was in denial. He was far too prideful to admit to your correctness on the matter, but you knew for a fact it was the truth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In all honesty, you believed he was hurting just as badly as you were, he just hadn’t realized it yet. But perhaps </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> were getting ahead of yourself. Who were you to make these assumptions? For all you knew he was just some psychotic, spoiled little rich kid incapable of understanding the feelings of others and that was that. Though you quickly scoffed at the idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took one to know one after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“For the last time, Charlie, I’m fine…” Cori’s tone was indecipherable. Only one other being in the room understood it but didn’t care enough to confront her about it. Her pipes kept singing an apathetic tune but the reality of her spoken words were far more melancholic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not buying that for a second. Just look at you! What even happened up there?” Charlie looked upon her freshly injured thigh with concern making Cori all the more uncomfortable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just a minor disagreement.” She responded with the same tone as before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Minor disagreement?!” Vaggie jumped in, “Cut the shit, lady! Who the Hell are you even?! You think you can just walk in here like you own the place and provoke Hell’s most sadistic asshole? Are you insane?! You could’ve gotten yourself erased, heaven forbid we lost the hotel!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Way. Too. Fucking. Loud.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The look on Cori’s face was nothing short of disgust. Her ears had knitted backwards but her eyes were intimidating. Enough to send a slight chill down Vaggie’s spine. Charlie noticed and stepped in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Woah, woah, Vaggie, calm down, everything’s okay! The hotel isn’t gone, we’re all fine, and-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She blinked several times, confusing everyone in the lobby. She turned to the blue succubus resting on the couch.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think I ever got your name?” she asked meekly, almost embarrassed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Jesus H. Christ, it’s about fucking time.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lobby was once again silent as everyone couldn’t help but eavesdrop. Angel had not so subtly gotten off his phone, Niffty begun to slow down and Husk paused mid-drink. Cori inhaled and readied herself for an introduction. After all this time she could </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> introduce herself! She felt as if she’d gone though the very pits of Hell itself just to get to this point, and frankly, she wasn’t far off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, call me Co-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, if it isn’t all of my favourite people all in one room! I </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> hope our newest guest is recovering well from those rather gruesome injuries! Quite the tumble she had, indeedy! Ha-ha-ha-!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>If there’s anything Cori hated more than sobriety, it was being interrupted. And it seems Alastor was perfectly skilled at ticking her off. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Right</span>
  </em>
  <span> off. To say she was about to strangle a bitch would be no exaggeration. This was all she had; her name and identity were all that mattered to her anymore and the fact that it’s taken this long to even come close to saying it was insane.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In one carefully composed action, Cori slipped her soft hand around the scalpel that laid peacefully in the first aid box. After examining it for a moment or two, she locked eyes with a giggly Alastor and effortlessly threw the blade in his direction. Only when he felt the frosty blade graze his cheek did he stop laughing and smirk maliciously at the one who dared throw it. This time the room was in a stunned silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oops. I missed. It seems the ‘tumble’ I had earlier did quite the number on my aim, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Alastor.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cori let the silence marinade for a few more moments before continuing in a played-up jovial manner. “Now then! Now that we’re all settled and in the same room, I can finally introduce myself!” her smile was wide and existed without a care in the world.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will not be doing this again, so </span>
  <em>
    <span>listen up!</span>
  </em>
  <span>” her right finger was raised to the sky despite the pain it brought forth. “PLEASE! Call me Cori.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After only a few seconds, Cori sighed a breath of relief and went back to dressing her wound. Everyone else blinked once, twice then three times. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Is that… Is that it?</span>
  </em>
  <span> They all thought in unison. All the buildup… For that?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A variable amount of time went by before a single sound broke the silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A-A--Achoo!</span>
  </em>
  <span> Cori squeaked then whispered, “damn rubbing alcohol…” Cori looked up and noticed the group’s confused visages. “What? No one else hate the smell? Don’t look at me like that, this shit’s strong!” She went back to work with a new bandage. Never, had anyone met, let alone heard of a person like this. Not only did she pick a fight with the Radio Demon, she did so in front of everyone just to reveal her underwhelming name and pretend nothing had happened seconds after. Who the Hell was this Lady?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh this reminds me!” Cori turned her head to Charlie, “Darwin, you mind giving me a job? I’m pretty sure I asked before but I figured I’d ask again. I’ll do basically anything, I just gotta make a couple bucks.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“U-Uh, ‘Darwin’? Are you talking to me?” Charlie asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who else would I be talking to, Charles? So is that a yes?” She quirked a brow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“O-Oh, yes, of course, we would love the help!” her demeanour reluctantly changed. “Isn’t that right, Vaggie?” Charlie placed both her hands on Vaggie’s shoulders and smiled nervously. It was only through clenched teeth that Vaggie answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeees.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cori didn’t even dignify her with a single look, instead choosing to completely ignore the midget mothra.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wonderful. I’ll start first thing tomorrow, wherever you put me. Expect me no later than 6:45 every morning ready to do what you ask. I expect weekly payments for my time, though if you can pay me sooner, that is acceptable. I have extensive experience in all fields, so I recommend you use me wisely. From what I’ve gathered of this place, it seems to be in shambles, so I’ll do my best under respectable management.” She then looked Charlie dead in the eyes. “I know my worth so I suggest you get to know it too. If you want this place to succeed, then </span>
  <em>
    <span>work for it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, Cori planned to bail after the first payment, but Charlie didn’t need to know that. Besides, all of what she said was unadulterated honesty, so no harm done, right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It seemed Charlie was struggling with this information ‘overload’. No wonder they had to get help from the shadiest man alive, she was a total mess. How she got this far was beyond her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vaggie was livid.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How DARE you boss her around like that! And what would you know about all this shit? For all we know, you’re just some cracked out lady that came in off the streets! Why the Hell should we trust </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cori’s sore thumb and index finger came to rest on the bridge of her nose accompanied by a loud exhale. Alastor was one thing, but Vaggie was completely different. Unbearable would be an understatement. She mumbled, “Câlice, je suis entouré d'imbéciles…”. Once again, her patience was waning and she needed a drink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The clicking of her footsteps was the only sound to be heard in the lobby this morning, at this time. Her long, white hair flowed freely and wavered with every motion forward. Its silken grace was breathtaking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As she approached the bar, Husk made direct eye contact with her and chuckled dryly. Vaggie damn near exploded with rage but you could tell by her muffled yells that Charlie was attempting to calm her down. Angel lost interest, going back on his phone, and Niffty zipped upstairs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what’ll it be?” Husk was already warming up to the new guest which was unheard of for him, not that he’d admit it. Solely based on the first interaction they had, he could tell what kind of person Cori was and he certainly found her more tolerable than the others.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How about something pathetically sweet this fine morning? Ya got any rosé on those shelves?” She responded while taking a seat. If she was being honest, rosé was more like juice than alcohol. She wasn’t very fond of overly sweet things but she could make an exception just this once.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without another word, Husk turned to the wine cooler and not-so-carefully brought out a bottle of the pink wine, placing it in front of Cori. Before handing her a glass, he smirked and retreated behind the counter and all she could see was his uniquely shaped and coloured tail swaying back and forth. This got her to chuckle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After only a moment, he returned, two coffee mugs in hand. One had “I love the smell of don’t fuck with me in the morning” and the other simply read, “Go away”. She could feel her migraine slip away as she let out a series of giggles. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be a gentleman and poor me a glass now would you~?” she said with exaggerated lust. Husk scoffed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ain’t no gentlemen in a 10 mile radius…” he smirked, “pour it yourself.” His words were frank but his tone teetered on playful. Cori offered a cheeky glare before grabbing the bottle, forcing it open and filling the cup she presumed was hers. She handed the bottle to Husk and he proceeded to pour his drink.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Each mug was topped up, half the bottle of rosé was already gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Without a single word exchanged, let alone a glance, the drinking buddies clinked mugs and took two simultaneous gulps. And both winced at the explosion of sweetness that took over their taste buds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy Mary Mother of God, I was NOT expecting that. I’m convinced you spiked this wine with literal fruit punch, you damn cat.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Blegh, why are you blaming me? You’re the one who chose the damn drink!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“In no universe is what I just drank an alcoholic beverage. Can you even get a buzz off this shit?” She asked nobody, inspecting the bottle for a percentage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha! Maybe if you’re a lightweight.” He responded pointedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bad idea.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ohhhhh~?” She turned her attention back up to his own yellow and grey eyes, challenging his gaze by leaning in closer. “And who do you think you’re calling a lightweight?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Husk had never been so thankful to have fur, for the slightest shade of pink had dusted his cheeks. He actually had time to take in her appearance and frankly, she was stunning. Objectively gorgeous. She had large, dark eyes, long white hair as pure as ice, a small, pointed nose and blemish free skin that seemed as soft as her voice. The crack underneath her left eye was the only element of separation, but even that served as an accent to her features. And then there were her lips… They were a deeper purple than her skin and seemed so firm, yet supple. They were thin, but shapely, almost intimidatingly so.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The longer he looked, the more annoyed he got. He preferred to be known as the grumpy bartender, that’s who he was, and she was already undermining that. If anyone else saw him warming up to someone, he’d never hear the end of it. Though the sound of her perfectly imperfect voice called him from his thoughts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that a challenge I hear? If so, I reckon we should place our bets, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Cat</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” She sat back down comfortably on her stool and took another sip, this time ignoring the taste altogether.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>To Hell with it</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he thought. He raised his scowl to a smirk and took a long gulp.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re on, missy. Just don’t be too sorry when you lose, my blood’s practically made of ethanol.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just then, a simmering Vaggie and nervous Charlie confronted the pair, causing Cori’s face to sour. Charlie cleared her throat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So! Um, Cori was it? I’ve decided to take you up on your offer. And, uh, the first order of business for tomorrow is getting the hotel to look like a hotel. Do you think you could manage?” she asked hopefully. Vaggie was still boiling over quietly for some odd reason.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But of course princess, your wish is my command~” Cori took another sip from her mug, being sure that Vaggie had enough time to read it. And just as she planned, Vaggie decided to say something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, okay, okay, what the shit is going on here? Drinking? At like 11 in the morning? Heaven, you shouldn’t even be drinking! I know you’re an ‘employee’ here, but you’re also a guest, and that means no sinning, </span>
  <b>either</b>
  <span>.” Charlie could only get a single hand on Vaggie’s shoulder to try and calm her down, but before she could say anything, Cori stepped in by laughing. Directly in Vaggie’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha! I’m sorry, am I currently in the process of ‘sinning’ right now? What exactly is so ‘sinful’ about what Husk and I are doing?” She asked, unimpressed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t you know how taboo drinking is at all? You need to stop, right now!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It took all of Cori’s willpower to resist laughing out loud for ten minutes straight. Instead, she opted for a different approach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmm, and why would it be taboo? What evil is there in enjoying a drink with a friend?” Another sip. “Please. Elaborate.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vaggie didn’t exactly have an explanation ready and was getting frustrated.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-It just is, okay! I’m not here to make the rules, I’m just here to push you in the right direction, you got that?” She seemed confident in her answer.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I see, I see…” Cori remained in faux thought for a few moments.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Say, Mothra… have you even </span>
  <em>
    <span>read</span>
  </em>
  <span> the bible?” she narrowed her eyes ‘inquisitively’.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Vaggie paused for a moment before angrily replying.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t see how that’s relevant. Just because I haven’t read it fully doesn't mean I don’t know what’s in it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ohh, is that so? So what qualifies you to determine what is sinful and what is not?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Who the Hell do you think you are?</em>
  </b>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A chill scurried through the air, and everyone in the room seemed to notice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You see, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mothra</span>
  </em>
  <span>, when a person claims to know shit about a subject, but in reality, knows nothing, we like to call them </span>
  <b>horribly ignorant, self righteous pieces of shit</b>
  <span>. But I suppose I can’t blame you entirely, not a single person in this entire building knows what the fuck they’re doing.” As Cori took another long sip, nobody said a word, not even Vaggie or Alastor.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Charles, darling, what exactly is your plan to send souls to heaven? What are the logistics? How does making someone a better person appeal all of their previous sins? Don’t you think that </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span> hell is supposed to be the way it is? No one can leave because the desire to do so would be a corrupted, greedy one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So I’ll ask you again, Darwin. What is your plan?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The lobby was painfully silent and Cori’s gaze was judgemental and intimidating. Charlie seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, cycling through different emotions at an alarming speed. She inhaled deeply and powerfully, sighing heavily as a result. A spark of determination was present in her eyes as she offered her response confidently and cooly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The truth is, I don't really know if this plan is going to work. But I will say, I’m tired of seeing my people slaughtered by the very beings who preach humanity and kindness. In fact, the whole idea of a cleanse seems </span>
  <em>
    <span>off</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me. There’s something inherently wrong with the way things are, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to find a way to fix it. So I’ll start by showing everyone that sinners are able to change, and shouldn’t have to suffer for where they were born, how they were brought up, what challenges they needed to face. Life is unfair, everybody knows that. But I think it </span>
  <span>shouldn’t</span>
  <span> be </span>
  <span><em>afterwards</em>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So the very least I can do is create a place that gives people a second chance. I will give them an opportunity to be better, regardless of how they were on earth. I believe they deserve that right. I don’t care how many people discourage or insult me because this isn’t about me at all. It’s about the citizens of Hell and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to make the afterlife a better place.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her stance was strong and proud, determined to make a difference. Cori studied her with a scrutinizing gaze, watching, but found nothing. With a deep sigh, she allowed her muscles to relax ever so slightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>So we do have some backbone here, don’t we?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright.” Cori said, indifferent. “I shall aid you in any way I can, princess~. Consider me at your disposal~!” her tone shifted into one of theatrics and cockiness. It was always hard to know what she was truly thinking. With one final sip of her drink, she held out her left hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So it’s a deal then?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Dancing in the Rain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It do be raining and she do be workin' doe</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>cough cough just gonna put this here for no apparent reason https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUMIDWil4VQ</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You always loved the rain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter the time of day or the season, the delicate rhythm of droplets always seemed to calm your weary soul. It played a tune on the metallic roof of your old shed, one which you would never forget. The lingering scent of wet asphalt drifted through the air like a quartet of ballerinas, dancing along to the mood of the sound. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No matter where you were―or who you were―the rain followed you while humming its familiar tune.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got this floor, Nift, you can go on ahead if you’d like” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The dusty hallways reeked of moldy wood and age. Old couches were strewn about, fabric was wearing thin and torn at the seams. Intricate wallpaper peeled from the linear door frames and the only hotel occupants were countless bugs and spiderwebs. A few crates, boxes and planks were thrown around aimlessly. You truly had your work cut out for you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure? Well, if you say so!” She zipped around the hallway, collecting bugs as she made her way to the next floor, feather duster in hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Niffty gone, you could now fully appreciate the gentle hum of the rain outside. Though, it was more of a concert than an opera house. It rang with no coherent pattern, vehemently ravaging the outer walls searching for a way inside. Despite this unfamiliarity, you still found innate repose in the song it sung. And once again, against your wishes, you felt like singing along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Your blue hand pressed up against a window, expecting to feel the coolness of outside, but feeling nothing instead. A sense of emptiness grew within your core, as did the bitter feelings of surviving without living. As you withdrew your hand, you took a deep breath and surveyed the room. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Large items first.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You arranged the loose pieces of wood in a pile next to the elevator. Every crate seemed to have something inside which meant you had to sift through and organize their contents. Some contained old clothes, worn away by the years, and others held pieces of furniture. Some were full of decorations for various occasions and exceedingly old paintings from who knows when. And some had cleaning supplies and stationary which would no doubt come in handy later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then an idea struck you. Once again, you looked around at the opened up boxes around you and examined all of their contents.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah, fuck it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With a crack of your knuckles, you took the room key from your pocket and navigated your way to your room door. Once open, you looked at the dreary, boring room and back at the crates. With a loud exhale, you began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You had found an old desk in one of the larger boxes so you sought to push it in and assemble it right away. It nestled into the far corner of the room, perfectly sized next to your rather large window. A dusted off chair followed suit, along with large stacks of paper, pens, pencils, and other office items. You arranged them to your personal taste and for once, felt sort of proud. A small smile threatened to pierce your purple lips, however, the soothing rain caught your attention once again. Only this time, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted</span>
  </em>
  <span> to sing along.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With your broom in hand, you began with a consistent pace across the hallway floor. The quartet was waiting for you to begin as they continued their lively melody.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Another bride, another June~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Another sunny honeymoon~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Another season, another reason~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>For makin' whoopee~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You began with a quiet, hushed voice, not loud enough to echo through the halls, but as you gradually grew more careless, it became audible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A lot of shoes, a lot of rice~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The groom is nervous~, he answers twice~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>It's really killin' that he's so willin'~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>To make whoopee~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The emerging voice was soft, gentle yet assertive, demanding attention. But most importantly, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>alluring</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now, picture a little love nest~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Down where the roses cling~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Picture the same sweet love nest~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Think what a year can bring~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The harsh rain seemed to somehow accentuate your silken voice, and both worked in unison.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He's washin' dishes and baby clothes~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He's so ambitious, he even sews~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But don't forget folks,~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That's what you get folks~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>For makin' whoopee~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Perhaps your tone was rising a touch, but as you submerged yourself in the song, getting lost in it, you stopped caring. There wasn’t anyone on this floor anyway, right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Another year, or maybe less~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What's this I hear?~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well can't you guess?~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She feels neglected, and he's suspected~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Of makin' whoopee~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With the broom in hand, traveling across the floor, you felt like you were floating on air. Each note was meticulously, yet boldly brought to life by the same being that despised the art.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She sits alone most every night~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He doesn't phone her, he doesn't write~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He says he's busy, but she says, is he?~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He's makin' whoopee~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first time in a long time, you allowed yourself to feel at peace. All your troubles were swept away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well he doesn't make much money~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only five thousand per~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And some judge that thinks he's funny~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Says, you'll pay six to her~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a certain elegance to all this. Even surrounded by piles of trash and thick layers of dust, the scene was enchanting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So he says, judge, suppose I fail?~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The judge says, march right into jail~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You better keep her, I think it's cheaper~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Than makin' whoopee~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The song was coming to an end and so was your reverie. For those brief minutes you stopped thinking and went with the flow of life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You better keep her, I think it's cheaper~</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Than makin' whoopee~~</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After the final breath left your mouth, you opened your eyes. The rough wooden broom handle was coarse, and annoyed your grip. The restrictive clothing made motion that much more difficult. Your long white hair tickled your face uncomfortably, but above all, you felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Despite the scratchiness of your jeans and despite the constriction of your blouse, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you felt comfortable</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warmth reminded you of the first fire you set when you were 9. The heat came in waves, brushing against your face and body. You became enamoured with it. It had a mind of its own, doing what it pleased whenever it felt like it. In some ways, you envied it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well~! Aren’t you the little bluebird!” A voice of static caught you off guard and you quite literally jumped out of your skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“MOTHER OF CHRIST, ALASTOR!” the response was reactionary, a symptom of being scared shitless by the last person you wanted to see right now. “Christ in heaven, how are you so quiet!? For fucks sake, we need a damn bell around your neck…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I must say, that was simply superb!” Without hesitation, he lunged an arm around you, twirling you where you stood. The touch was revolting but despite all your kinetic rejections, he ultimately overpowered you. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How is this lanky bastard so strong? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Hooking his arm around you once more, he looked off into nothing, and with a wave of his cane, the setting seemed to change before your very eyes. “I can already see it now! The flashing lights! Crowds as far as the eye can see! Seems to me like a one way stop to Tinseltown, my dear!” During that very moment all those things manifested, and there you were next to Alastor in 20s celebrity clothing, complete with a poofy white, patterned scarf, gently wrapped around your neck. The violent gaze of the lights, the piercing cries of the crowd, the debilitating smell of smoke and perfume, and the sheer amount of people, buildings, cars, trucks and vintage cameras was too much for you to handle. It was too much. Too much. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Too much!</span>
  </em>
  <span> You couldn’t think, you couldn’t feel, but most of all, you were scared. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why were you scared?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>In a desperate motion fueled by fear and fear alone, you clenched onto Alastor’s suit and buried your face in his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“P-please, m-make it go away-” you whispered to no one in particular, “I d-don't want to be here anymore, please, please, please…” Your hands were shaking and tears had already formed rivers, streaming down your eyes at an alarming speed. While only moments passed by, it felt like hours. Unknowingly, your ears had knitted to your skull and the clenching got tighter. You were shaking like a leaf, and for good reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what are you asking me to do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t asking. I was telling you to get in this dress and give those hungry fools a show. They’re expecting some good stuff tonight, and we’ve got a lot riding on this. </span>
  <b>
    <em>Don’t. Fuck. Up.</em>
  </b>
  <span>” The man lean with muscle wore a large ‘showy’ coat, indicative of his high class, with an obnoxious hat to top it off. His “office” was on the top floor, marble decorated every inch of the place, along with countless couches, bars and tables. A tall rack of alcohol bottles stood intimidatingly behind him, but you were never permitted to look away from him. “You have the only set of decent pipes around here and the body to back em’ up.” He lit a cigar and after a few puffs of smoke, he continued at his leisure. Throwing the tight, red dress your way, he asserted, “I expect results from you, Cori baby. Now go put on some makeup, you look like a fucking college student.” And with that, he dismissed you with a wave of his hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator ride down was scrutinizing. But you knew what would happen if you failed. You’d have to “make it up to him” later. The slimy fuckhead was never gentle nor considered your physical or mental wellbeing. Bruises trailed around your arms, legs, neck and torso. It was getting more and more difficult to cry, repression was the only way to survive. But what was the point of surviving if you couldn’t live in the process? Was it hope that drove you forward? A fear of death? Or perhaps a fear of the afterlife? These thoughts always ravaged your brain on the elevator. They never ceased until the ding off the bell, indicating your floor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room was grand, but ratty. Neon lights illuminated hidden stains but provided a soft, sultry glow, dialing the atmosphere at just the right frequency. Cigar and cigarette smoke polluted the high ceilings and the place was packed with burly middle aged men and slutty waitresses, getting their hands dirty for even the smallest tip. The sound of chatter, chairs squeaking and glass was familiar to you, but extremely unwelcome.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All you have to do is get out there, sing a few songs and make it look like you give a shit. You can do this. Just get it the fuck over with.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The commotion died down when the lights flickered off and the spotlight gleamed. Emerging from the thick purple curtain was a dazzling creature wearing nothing but a red, skin tight dress that fully displayed a smooth, silky leg, crowned by a fluffy black garter. The vixen’s hair was loose and malleable, but most notably were her breasts, on full display within the confines of fabric. The dress was completely backless drawing the hungry eyes of countless drooling men. What they wouldn’t give to have their way with you. That's precisely why the boss kept you around. You could make him loads of money, and he could indulge whenever he felt like it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Darling? You’d better have a good reason to ruin my shirt.” Needless to say, he was confused. Sure, he meant to ruffle your feathers a bit, but he certainly wasn’t expecting this outcome. Though what happened next was entirely unexpected, rendering him speechless.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Through the tears, Cori stuttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“P-Please sir don’t make m-me do that again… I c-can’t handle it…” The room went cold and Cori was trembling. Whatever Alastor had done, he’d certainly uncovered something unpleasant. Her tears were turning to ice and so was his shirt. If he didn’t act now, the entire hotel would’ve gone up in icy flames. Swallowing his pride, he did the unimaginable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Casting his microphone aside, Alastor threw his arms around Cori and held her tightly against him. “Calm down, darling, you’re safe.”, he said matter-of-factly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He smelled of ash and pine, something Cori had been far too familiar with. And as the trembling melted away, the warmth returned to the room. When was the last time she had been hugged? Right now she didn’t care who it was, she just enjoyed the warmth. But most of all, she felt safe.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rain continued to pummel each pane of glass and the dust finally managed to settle. Though all she could hear for certain were the gentle beats of Alastor’s heart. Which reminded her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alastor..?” she mumbled into his chest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking up at him with beautifully grey and yellow eyes, she spoke in a firm but sultry voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you pull another stunt like that again, I’ll be sure to mount your head on my wall while I cook your internal organs into a nice dinner. You got that?” Her gaze was horrifyingly sadistic, but he accepted the challenge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But of course my dear, I’d expect nothing less~” he said with a jovial little smile. “I best be off now, I’ve plenty of work to attend to~!” And with that, not another word was exchanged as he disappeared into nowhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cori sighed in exhaustion. She still had so much work to do and was now behind schedule thanks to the read-headed freak. She mindlessly returned to her work without a moment's hesitation, determined to make up for lost time. The encounter hadn’t even permeated the depths of her mind. Alastor on the other hand was every bit intrigued and his black heart pumped with what could only be described as excitement. Every thought that brewed in his mind was about </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He’d uncovered another weakness and it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>thrilling.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>But something was off. He didn’t have the immediate urge to take advantage of this weakness Sure, he was a gentleman, but this was different! Visions of her teary eyed face ransacked his mind and it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> that felt weak. Perhaps it was her succubus charm or her disgusting contempt for life that made him feel this way but he didn’t like it. Something was out of his control and he was finally starting to realize it.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Cyps's Bar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Time to move out :o</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You worked how many hours a day??” Charlie was mortified.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know; 16 hours seemed good enough to me.” Cori stated after a short sip of coffee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The past week had gone by without too much hassle. There was the odd interruption from Alastor being a dickbag, but things were alright. Every morning, Cori got up, sifted through her closet for something that wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>horribly </span>
  </em>
  <span>inappropriate and met with a sleep deprived Charlie who told her what to do each day. The first few days were the same; organize and clean each floor, arrange broken and clean furniture while attending to the half repaired lobby. It was explicitly obvious that Alastor could’ve just snapped his fingers and repaired the entirety of the hotel but Cori didn’t care to ask why he hadn’t. It simply didn’t matter. The past two days, however, she was forced to actually converse with Charlie, Vaggie and Alastor (the latter of which simply chuckled every now and again) about the plans for the hotel, but before that could get out of hand, Cori ‘strongly recommended’ they read and understand the bible along with the inner workings of heaven, divinity and hell. Luckily, Charlie had access to biblical manuscripts all written in Hebrew and Aramaic which only she could read. Truth be told, Cori already knew all she needed to know about the bible and just wanted them to leave her alone. She’d rather not get too involved with their plans lest she have second thoughts about leaving for good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She didn’t want to admit it but she enjoyed the peace. Refusing to acknowledge it, Cori focussed on only one thing; getting paid and getting out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So am I getting paid or did I just waste 112 hours?” Cori said with a raised brow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I mean… Are you okay? Did you at least take a break?” The concern seemed genuine and this was off putting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Define ‘break’.” she replied with undeniable rhetoric. Her coffee was bitter this morning. Quite enjoyable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Charlie was a little uncomfortable but responded by opening her wallet and taking out a couple hundred dollars and reluctantly handing them over. “No more 16 hour days, okay? Remember to take it easy sometime, you can always rely on us.” Her smile was nervous but caring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been years since such a kindness was ever received by Cori. She didn’t know whether or not to feel disgusted or flattered so she settled for neither. Provoking thought was not a good idea right now. She needed to leave, and soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wasn’t planning on it.” She took the money and counted it with one hand, showing off her dexterity. “Thanks Darwin. I’ll be going out today for a bit, I’ll be back later.” Setting down her unfinished coffee, Cori brushed past Charlie without giving her a second glance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment you passed by her, something felt wrong. The smallest spark of regret singed your subconscious and for some reason wouldn’t snuff out. You took a deep breath and moved forward, stuffing the bills into your bra.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With each step you took, the silence was disturbed and seemed to be in more agony than usual. It kept telling you not to go, but still, you chose not to listen. Your blue hand reached out for the door handle but right before you could touch the golden metal, another hand intercepted it. Aside from your usual knee jerk reaction, you were getting used to Alastor’s unwanted touches. His gloved hand wrapped firmly around your right wrist, hurting it slightly. You already knew what was coming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And where do you think you’re going </span>
  <em>
    <span>chérie?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> He said rather sternly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Out.” You didn’t bother making eye contact, you didn’t care for his antics.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I recall asking </span>
  <em>
    <span>where</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” His grip tightened causing more pain to trickle down your arm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Some bar.” You knew better than to give him a reaction he could work with. Besides, knowing how frustrated he probably was was far more rewarding than retorting with a witty remark. It had only been a week and a half but you felt like you knew just how to get under his skin. Soon enough </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> would be the one regretting your deal. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thought was amusing but deep down you knew you had to go. For good.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The spark burned brighter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, we have a perfectly good bar here! And don’t think I haven’t noticed you getting rather chummy with a certain bartender~!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ah. Husker. Of course. Things never really went past casual flirting after a couple dozen beers but the two of you were becoming decently acquainted rather quickly. Husk was the only one who knew your plan and seemingly didn’t care enough to stop you. It was endearing. A sort of mutual understanding brewed between the two of you and it was quite pleasant actually. What you didn’t know was that he secretly wanted you around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Eh. Just want to go out tonight.” Once again, you gave him nothing, causing his eye to twitch. What a wonderful sight. Both of you knew the sort of games you played with each other but it was getting harder and harder for him to win.</span>
  <em>
    <span> It drove him mad</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Very well then…” He released your wrist and gave you a slight bow. “Do have a pleasant morning.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With only a passing look that exclaimed ‘I win asshole’, you opened the door and began your trek back to Cyps’ bar. Little did you know what thoughts were scaling through the deepest pits of Alastor’s mind…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door of his room slammed shut with a loud ‘thud’. Each of his fingers was twitching with pent up rage and aggression. He needed to calm down. In only one week, she had been able to completely shut him out, remain sane while doing so and showed no sign of stopping. He wanted to see that desperation and active retaliation he had seen during their first few encounters, but she was clever. She knew what he wanted and wouldn’t give it to him no matter what. His heart burned with a new passion. A new desire. He wanted to see her </span>
  <em>
    <span>writhe</span>
  </em>
  <span> beneath him, mentally defeated. No more will to break-- complete victory. By contract, he essentially had achieved theoretical ownership but if he wasn’t careful, she could dismantle it and even use it against him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The challenge made him salivate, but he needed to be patient. He needed to rethink his strategy. Perhaps it was finally time to exploit the young lady’s emotional shortcomings by befriending her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn you to hell you stupid deer-!” You muttered under your breath. Without the cover of shit and blood, you were now just a playboy magazine to gawk at. Hungry eyes eagerly tracked your every move and these damn clothes certainly weren’t helping. With the money you received from Charlie, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>buy actual decent clothes but that thought disappeared as quickly as it came. You had better places to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The amount of scumbags catcalling and whistling at you was infuriating but there wasn’t much you could do about it. You simply carried yourself forward and kept your head to the ground. One could only pray you weren’t being followed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those familiar neon lights began creeping towards you. The ones that said ‘bar’ flatly in a bright shade of blue. Upon entering, there was a diverse cast of characters inside, occupying sparse portions of the floor. It was morning after all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lo and behold, a certain charcoal bartender was resting on his forearms, watching some TV with a small group of demons. The scene was surprisingly casual and almost inviting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You quietly made your way back to your original seat and took a deep breath. After a few seconds of sitting, accompanied by the hum of the beer machine and chatter of the television, you cleared your throat in search of the barkeep’s attention. What you received was all of their attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Huddled around across the bartop was an old looking fox with round glasses, a heavy built man with what seemed to be antennae protruding from his silver head and a woman with bright red hair that seemed to stretch to the floor. Cyps was on his way over, but ultimately paid you little attention as he certainly didn’t recognize you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What can I get for you doll?” he asked rather politely. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nice change of pace</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A gin and tonic will do fine if you have it, Cyps.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost immediately after speaking, Cyps recognized you and went wide-eyed for a moment before regaining his composure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good heavens… Cori right? You, uh… you certainly seemed to have cleaned yourself up a bit-” he coughed into his fist, stealing a few glances. “I must say I didn’t expect to see you back here so soon. What’s it been, a week, week and a half? A whole lot less… blood.” Judging from his lack of movement, he hadn’t quite registered your order. You simply looked at him, the empty coaster then back at him and raised a brow. Without missing another beat, Cyps hurriedly gathered gin and tonic water and prepared your morning drink. After one long sip, you decided to make a little conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Crazy what a shower and clean clothes can accomplish. Ha! And who knew my hair was white under all that crap before. Truly a rejuvenating experience. And what about you eh? Any new shit happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The air was cozy in this place. There weren’t many bodies here, but the ones that were seemed to enjoy the silence together. The gin and tonic you were drinking didn't really taste good but then again, when did any alcohol taste good? It was pretty boring if anything. Now that you thought of it, you only ever drank for the sake of drinking. The more you partook the less you would have to confront the reality of existence and all it had to offer. Confrontation was a bitch. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> that all that waited for you was even more suffering so why even bother in the first place? You already knew you were just an atom in the sea of existence forced to drift around until the curtain fell but now that there was an obligatory encore, you had another chance to think things over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After chatting for a few minutes, you decided to ask a question.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are they?” you gestured towards the trio quietly watching television. Cyps answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those are some old friends of mine. The fox has been here since the 1500s making him one of the oldest demons I’ve ever met and the other two live upstairs. We’ve all had some pretty interesting talks in the past…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that so…” The ever present spark made itself known by manifesting into a ball of curiosity. “Like what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cyps chuckled. “I’ll tell you what, how about I introduce them to you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hours seemed to slip by without notice. Cyps had introduced you to the gang and they all welcomed you with relative ease, especially after hearing your story. The fox, Nathaniel was a travelling businessman who scammed countless people in his days of living. He only stopped when he witnessed a widowed mother and her young son die at the hands of tax collectors because of the money he stole from them. After which he dedicated his life to actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>helping</span>
  </em>
  <span> the people he made promises to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Those were the most fulfilling years of my life and I had come to regret all of my previous endeavours. But in the end, it was smallpox that did me in. A brutal one, that was…” His eyes seemed to look beyond the group of people, into the past. This confused you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, so why didn’t you go to heaven then? It seems like you learned your lesson?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who knows, little one. Such things aren’t for me to decide. But I suppose it doesn’t matter, there’s no use crying over it now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha! No matter how many times you say that, it still pisses me right off.” The tall red head named Saraphina intervened. “If you ask me, we’re all doomed from the damn start! This whole ‘you’re good, you’re bad’ thing is such a crock of shit, I thought God was supposed to be some guy who forgave people for the shit they did, but clearly since Hell exists at all, it was never like that to begin with! The existence of Hell proves that he’s an entitled, judgy fuckhead that doesn’t care about anything and people should just wake up and stop worshipping the prick. Hmph!” She was clearly really irritated and had a long history with God.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well we’ve gone and winded her up again, haven’t we?” Cyps gave Nathan a cheeky smile. The silver headed bug only hummed in agreement. He hadn’t spoken a word this entire conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, blow it out your ass Cyps, we all know how much of a dick He is…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the trio bickered on, you were left to your own thoughts. Each of these people were extremely different but had a lot in common. It made it easy to hold a conversation with them. The odd one out, however, was the bug. He wore a black, torn t-shirt and black pants with his insectoid feet hanging free. His five eyes glowed a faint blue and his shell resembled that of a beetle’s. Every so often, his antennae would twitch around but you couldn’t quite figure out why. All you knew was his name: Alexander.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You decided to interrupt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, I’ve heard of all your stories, Nathan, Sara and Cyps, but if I may ask―Now what about you, Alex?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The group all looked at you for a few seconds in silence before Sara chimed in.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, actually, Al can’t talk.” She worriedly looked at Alex before he gave her a reassuring nod. You didn’t know what to make of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Al and I have known each other for quite some time, right?” She cleared her throat, “When he was alive, he was a defense attorney for some pretty crummy people, you know, murderers, thieves, all that…” Alex was looking directly at you. “He had basically built his entire life on lying and getting bad people out of trouble, so when he showed up here, the man upstairs decided he should become a mute to ‘teach him a lesson’ or whatever.” Sara was getting visibly upset, but not like before. She was almost trembling and Nathan took immediate notice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If you haven’t noticed already, little one, each of our bodies are a curse we must live with until we are no more. Every single soul down here occupies a body which is symbolic to their being but many don’t realize that. Perhaps you’d like to tell us why you have yours?” Nathan changed the subject.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pain you felt on that day in front of the mirror began gnawing at your core. You felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>especially</span>
  </em>
  <span> livid with what you were forced with.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>It made you sick</em>
  </b>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You sighed and just decided to share a part of your life with these strangers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“To pay off her debt to some animals, my loving mother decided to sell me off to people with </span>
  <em>
    <span>less than good intentions</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” You took a sip of liqueur. “The thing is, I wasn’t even all that nice to look at, pretty average I guess you could say… but men will take what they can get, especially if that thing can’t object.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sadness threatened to seep from your heart but for some reason you had the urge to keep talking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, it never really got easier. Even becoming a shell of a person wouldn’t undo their touches, gropes and moans. You’re forced to endure it for however long it takes and then it’s the next customer’s turn. Each grunt that left their disgusting mouths made me want to bash out my eardrums. Each taste of saliva made me want to carve out my tongue. Each obscene visual made me want to rip out my eyes. Each smell made me want to drown my nose with kerosene. And the touch…” you hadn’t noticed how much you were shaking at this point, “there was… there was so much… Every inch of me was violated… there wasn’t any comfort, no. There never was. Day after day, week after week… year after year. I couldn’t stand their lust, their hunger. I started drinking―but that could only help so much… I wanted to see my brother again, just once. I wanted to see him again before I decided to kick the bucket. No, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed</span>
  </em>
  <span> to see him again. I wanted a reason to keep living. But he wasn’t there. My reason for life was gone so I laid down and let the snow pile on top of me. Then that was it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You hadn’t even noticed the tears but they were spilling out of you uncontrollably. You touched your face with shaky hands but couldn’t get them to stop. A lump was quickly forming in your throat and you couldn’t do much to stop it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Through the tears, you could just make out everyone’s expressions. They were a mixture of pity, worry and concern, especially Sara’s. She sprang up from her stool but you were far too preoccupied to notice just how tall she was. Just as you were about to collapse, Sara caught you in her arms, right into her chest. As you descended into a series of sobs, Sara did her best to reassure you softly, stroking your hair and holding you close. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time in what seemed like forever, you were wailing in front of other people, a bar no less. All you could hear were the distant sounds of irritation from other barhoppers followed by a duo of quick footsteps and hushed yelling. As it drowned itself out, you focussed on expelling every tear you held onto from the many years of pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was catharsis. Sobbing into the chest of a friend after revealing your many years of suppressed trauma and not worrying about the repercussions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re okay now Cori, you’re okay…” Sara hushed while continuing to hold you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was warm. She made you want to feel again.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I guess this is comfort, isn’t it?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>You didn’t feel vulnerable. You felt like you were where you needed to be. You didn’t have anything like this while alive, and you’d have to be idiotic to forfeit it now that you were free―</span>
  <em>
    <span>Ah. Free.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few more minutes of letting your sobs die out, Sara gently released you and patted your head softly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Feeling better now?” She asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y-*hic*-yeah, I think so… Thank you.” You glanced up at her face and just then saw her subtle freckles. As she stood up fully, however, you took note of just how tall she really was. You couldn’t hold back your bewildered stare as her head practically touched the ceiling. She had to have been 9ft tall. Noticing your stare she chuckled slightly and simply said: “Claustrophobia” and it immediately clicked. God really was an asshole.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She took her seat and you noticed that both Cyps and Alex were gone. You looked around and surprisingly found no one else in the bar anymore, and the two men were standing at the front door, making sure no one else entered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did they―?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We wanted it to be just us five so they made the other people leave. You’ve got this whole place to yourself Cori, it’s all okay now.” Saraphina was being a total gem. Her tough lady act was out the window when it came to you. Not the mention how thoughtful the boys were being. They all reminded you of Charlie. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Charlie</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You had just remembered why you came here. You needed to pay Cyps back. You had the money on you, it's just―</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You didn’t want to anymore. The flame in your head had grown out of control and so too did your desire to live. You didn’t know whether or not to feel terrified or at peace. Hope was a double edged sword that you had put down ages ago. How were you supposed to act? What were you supposed to </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span>? And what about Alastor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You remembered the night of the deal. Luckily you were able to establish your own conditions before the shake of his hand but there was still the minor detail of you being his henchman. But now that you thought of it, he hadn’t really abused that right. The most he would do was boss you around and sometimes make you do menial tasks, of which you’d complete with absolutely no objection, no matter how useless. Maybe he had bigger plans? As it was now, things weren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad were they? Probably a whole lot better than if you were under the control of another overlord like Vox or Valentino. Husk told you a bit about a few power-ladden chumps, but those two had to be avoided at all costs. He was clear about that fact. And even within the past few hours, you learned a lot from your new friends. Though regardless of his intentions, you needed to find a way to get out of this deal, it wasn’t worth all this thinking over. Maybe, just maybe you could ask for help, this once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, everyone, could I ask for your advice on something?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Lot's more is planned, I hope you enjoy reading! Let me know what you think so far, I love reading your guys' comments ^ ^</p><p>Thanks for reading, Cheers!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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